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Nature 441, 820-821 (15 June 2006) | doi:10.1038/441820a; Published online 14 June 2006

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Quantum physics: United through repulsion

Leonardo Fallani1 & Massimo Inguscio1

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Mutually repulsive atoms placed at periodic intervals in a 'crystal of light' can, counterintuitively, be forced into stable couplings. That theoretical prediction has just seen experimental confirmation.

Nature likes to save energy. Whenever independent particles can arrange themselves freely, they choose the configuration that minimizes their total energy.

  1. Leonardo Fallani and Massimo Inguscio are at the European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy (LENS), Università degli Studi di Firenze, Polo Scientifico, Via Nello Carrara 1, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
    Email: inguscio@lens.unifi.it

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