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PI Physik Instrumente - Revolution In Photonics Align LW LB 3/24

To keep atoms spinning together, don’t let them relax

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Hank Hogan, [email protected]

There’s a new world record, according to researchers who were able to preserve the spin-polarization of atoms in an alkali vapor for about 60 seconds at room temperature, roughly 100 times the previous best. During that time, atoms within the metallic cloud in their demonstration magnetometer underwent about a million collisions with the cell walls. This record-breaking performance could pave the way for more sensitive atomic magnetometers, more capable atomic clocks and improved quantum memories. The long lifetime, or slow relaxation back to a ground state, was the result of using...Read full article

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    Published: December 2010
    Glossary
    atomic clock
    An atomic clock is a highly precise timekeeping device that uses the vibrations or oscillations of atoms as a reference for measuring time. The most common type of atomic clock uses the vibrations of atoms, typically cesium or rubidium atoms, to define the length of a second. The principle behind atomic clocks is based on the fundamental properties of atoms, which oscillate at extremely stable and predictable frequencies. The primary concept employed in atomic clocks is the phenomenon of...
    optical transition
    The process by which an atomic system changes from one energy level to another by either the emission or absorption of visible, infrared or ultraviolet radiation.
    polarization
    Polarization refers to the orientation of oscillations in a transverse wave, such as light waves, radio waves, or other electromagnetic waves. In simpler terms, it describes the direction in which the electric field vector of a wave vibrates. Understanding polarization is important in various fields, including optics, telecommunications, and physics. Key points about polarization: Transverse waves: Polarization is a concept associated with transverse waves, where the oscillations occur...
    alkali vaporalkali-vapor magnetometerantirelaxation propertiesatomic clockatomic magnetometeratomic spinBasic ScienceD1double bondHank HoganhydrocarbonLawrence Berkeley National Laboratorymagnetic fieldmetallic cloudMicah Ledbetteroptical transitionpolarizationpolarized beamquantum memoriesrelaxation processResearch & TechnologyRussiaS.I. Vavilov State Optical Institutespin coherencespin-polarizationTech PulseUniversity of California BerkeleyUS Department of EnergyLasers

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