Building an atom laser that can stay on forever.

A team of physicists in Amsterdam has found a way to make atom lasers, which rely on the wave-like properties of matter, last long enough to be helpful. The trick is to manipulate the principles behind BECs, or Bose-Einstein condensates.

Creating a continuous Bose-Einstein Condensate.

Researchers have discovered a way to create a continuous Bose-Einstein Condensate. Florian Schreck, team leader, explained how they did it in the statement.

Six years ago, scientists at the University of Amsterdam had an idea for a new type of laser. They began building a prototype — a big machine that would use lasers to cool atoms to temperatures colder than outer space. On Christmas morning, the team finally succeeded; they were able to produce and sustain a continuous wave of particles: a Bose-Einstein condensate.

Now that the researchers have successfully created a continuous Bose-Einstein Condensate, they hope to use the laser to create a stable output beam of matter. If they do manage to produce lasers that can not only operate forever but can also produce sturdy beams, the applications will be limitless.

These coherent matter waves are now revolutionizing quantum science and atomic physics. Bose-Einstein condensates are used in quantum simulation1 and sensing2,3, for…