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Nature 425, 246-247 (18 September 2003) | doi:10.1038/425246a

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Quantum optics: Single atom lases orderly light

Howard Carmichael1 & Luis A. Orozco2

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A laser that operates through repeated emission from a single atom is very different from the lasers we know. The beam of light produced has a more orderly photon stream than even the quietest laser.

For many physicists, the fascination of quantum systems comes from their intrinsic fluctuations — those fluctuations always present in any system as a consequence of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. In quantum systems of practical use (such as lasers and transistors), the intrinsic fluctuations are small enough not to interfere with the function of the device.

  1. Department of Physics, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
    Email: h.carmichael@auckland.ac.nz
  2. Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
    Email: lorozco@physics.umd.edu