Nanotechnology Now – Press Release: New tools will help study quantum chemistry aboard the International Space Station: Rochester Professor Nicholas Bigelow helped develop experiments conducted at NASA’s Cold Atom Lab to probe the fundamental nature of the world around us


Home > Press > New tools will help study quantum chemistry aboard the International Space Station: Rochester Professor Nicholas Bigelow helped develop experiments conducted at NASA’s Cold Atom Lab to probe the fundamental nature of the world around us

Abstract:
At NASA’s Cold Atom Lab facility aboard the International Space Station, an international team of scientists produced a quantum gas containing two types of atoms for the first time in space. The achievement, outlined in a new study published in Nature, marks another step toward bringing quantum technologies currently available on Earth into space.

New tools will help study quantum chemistry aboard the International Space Station: Rochester Professor Nicholas Bigelow helped develop experiments conducted at NASA’s Cold Atom Lab to probe the fundamental nature of the world around us


Rochester, NY | Posted on November 17th, 2023

Through experiments controlled remotely on Earth, the researchers produced Bose-Einstein condensates—a quantum state of matter made from an atomic gas cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero. Nicholas Bigelow, the Lee A. DuBridge Professor of Physics and a professor of optics at the University of Rochester, says these quantum tools can be used to enhance the study of the essence of quantum matter, aid in the navigation between planets, as well as to help solve mysteries of the universe and deepen our understanding of the fundamental laws of nature.

Reaping the benefits of zero gravity
“There are a lot of things in fundamental physics where being in the presence of gravity actually limits how precise a measurement you can make,” says Bigelow, director of the NASA-funded Consortium for Ultracold Atoms in Space. “Removing gravity allows you to make a much longer observation time to get more precision in the measurement, and it allows you to see delicate effects that might be masked by gravity.”

With this new capability, the Cold Atom Lab can now study not only the quantum properties of individual atoms, but also quantum chemistry, which focuses on how different types of atoms interact and combine with each other in a quantum state. Researchers will be able to conduct a wider range of experiments with the Cold Atom Lab and learn more about the nuances of performing them in microgravity. That knowledge will be essential for harnessing the one-of-a-kind facility to develop new space-based quantum technologies.

One mystery the scientists aim to chip away at involves the equivalence principle, which holds that gravity affects all objects the same regardless of their mass. Part of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity—the backbone of modern gravitational physics—the principle doesn’t neatly match up with the laws of quantum physics, which describe behaviors of small objects like atoms. Scientists have already experimented with atom interferometers on Earth to see if the equivalence principle holds true at atomic scales, but they can test it more precisely in space at the Cold Atom Lab.

A route to understanding dark energy—and to better sensors and clocks
Bigelow says the scientists plan to run experiments using a two-atom interferometer and quantum gases to measure gravity with high precision to learn about the nature of dark energy, the mysterious driver behind the accelerating expansion of the universe. What they learn could lead to the development of precision sensors for a wide range of applications.

“We could make sensors that are extremely sensitive to small rotations and essentially use these cold atoms in the Bose-Einstein condensate to make gyroscopes,” says Bigelow. “These gyroscopes could give us a fixed reference point in space that could be used for deep space navigation. We’re also developing a number of things that could lead to better clocks in space, which are crucial to so many things in modern life such as high-speed internet and GPS.”

####

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
Luke Auburn
University of Rochester

Cell: 5854903198

Copyright © University of Rochester

If you have a comment, please Contact us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark:
Delicious
Digg
Newsvine
Google
Yahoo
Reddit
Magnoliacom
Furl
Facebook

ARTICLE TITLE

Quantum Physics


Three-pronged approach discerns qualities of quantum spin liquids November 17th, 2023

Quantum chemistry


Three-pronged approach discerns qualities of quantum spin liquids November 17th, 2023

News and information


Inverted perovskite solar cell breaks 25% efficiency record: Researchers improve cell efficiency using a combination of molecules to address different November 17th, 2023


Night-time radiative warming using the atmosphere November 17th, 2023


A new kind of magnetism November 17th, 2023


New laser setup probes metamaterial structures with ultrafast pulses: The technique could speed up the development of acoustic lenses, impact-resistant films, and other futuristic materials November 17th, 2023

Govt.-Legislation/Regulation/Funding/Policy


Three-pronged approach discerns qualities of quantum spin liquids November 17th, 2023


Inverted perovskite solar cell breaks 25% efficiency record: Researchers improve cell efficiency using a combination of molecules to address different November 17th, 2023


New laser setup probes metamaterial structures with ultrafast pulses: The technique could speed up the development of acoustic lenses, impact-resistant films, and other futuristic materials November 17th, 2023


Nanoparticle quasicrystal constructed with DNA: The breakthrough opens the way for designing and building more complex structures November 3rd, 2023

Possible Futures


Shedding light on unique conduction mechanisms in a new type of perovskite oxide November 17th, 2023


Silver nanoparticles: guaranteeing antimicrobial safe-tea November 17th, 2023


Three-pronged approach discerns qualities of quantum spin liquids November 17th, 2023


Inverted perovskite solar cell breaks 25% efficiency record: Researchers improve cell efficiency using a combination of molecules to address different November 17th, 2023

Sensors


TU Delft researchers discover new ultra strong material for microchip sensors: A material that doesn’t just rival the strength of diamonds and graphene, but boasts a yield strength 10 times greater than Kevlar, renowned for its use in bulletproof vests November 3rd, 2023


Electron collider on a chip June 30th, 2023


Researchers discover materials exhibiting huge magnetoresistance June 9th, 2023


Laser direct writing of Ga2O3/liquid metal-based flexible humidity sensors May 12th, 2023

Discoveries


Inverted perovskite solar cell breaks 25% efficiency record: Researchers improve cell efficiency using a combination of molecules to address different November 17th, 2023


Night-time radiative warming using the atmosphere November 17th, 2023


A new kind of magnetism November 17th, 2023


New laser setup probes metamaterial structures with ultrafast pulses: The technique could speed up the development of acoustic lenses, impact-resistant films, and other futuristic materials November 17th, 2023

Announcements


Inverted perovskite solar cell breaks 25% efficiency record: Researchers improve cell efficiency using a combination of molecules to address different November 17th, 2023


Night-time radiative warming using the atmosphere November 17th, 2023


A new kind of magnetism November 17th, 2023


New laser setup probes metamaterial structures with ultrafast pulses: The technique could speed up the development of acoustic lenses, impact-resistant films, and other futuristic materials November 17th, 2023

Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters


Inverted perovskite solar cell breaks 25% efficiency record: Researchers improve cell efficiency using a combination of molecules to address different November 17th, 2023


Night-time radiative warming using the atmosphere November 17th, 2023


A new kind of magnetism November 17th, 2023


New laser setup probes metamaterial structures with ultrafast pulses: The technique could speed up the development of acoustic lenses, impact-resistant films, and other futuristic materials November 17th, 2023

Aerospace/Space


Manufacturing advances bring material back in vogue January 20th, 2023


The National Space Society Congratulates NASA on the Success of Artemis I Same-day Launch of the Hakuto-R Lunar Landing Mission will Help Support Future Lunar Crews December 12th, 2022


Trial by wind: Testing the heat resistance of carbon fiber-reinforced ultra-high-temperature ceramic matrix composites: Researchers use an arc-wind tunnel to test the heat resistance of carbon fiber reinforced ultra-high-temperature ceramic matrix composites November 18th, 2022


Surface microstructures of lunar soil returned by Chang’e-5 mission reveal an intermediate stage in space weathering process September 30th, 2022

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *