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Bose–Einstein condensates

Spins mixed up

Nature Physics volume 1, pages 89–90 (2005)Cite this article

An atomic Bose–Einstein condensate represents a highly correlated, coherent state of matter. Experiments now reveal that the collective matter-wave properties extend to include coherent dynamics of the spin degrees of freedom.

The existence of atomic spin and the magnetic properties of a bulk sample of atoms are intimately linked. In the familiar picture, the constituent atoms that make up a solid lump of matter collectively form — depending on the nature of the inter-atomic exchange interactions — a magnetic state governed by thermodynamic variables such as temperature. For example, in iron the interactions are ferromagnetic and below a characteristic temperature (the Curie temperature) the sample can display permanent magnetism as in the case of a simple bar magnet. The situation is far less obvious if the atomic system is a dilute gas of neutral atoms with a density comparable to the ones found in the upper reaches of the atmosphere. On page 111 of this issue, Chang and colleagues1 describe recent experiments that elucidate the collective spin behaviour of just such a gas. In their case, the system under investigation has a further, most remarkable property: it is also a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC).

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Figure 1: Atoms on a collision course.

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  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Bausch and Lomb Hall 206, Rochester, 14627, New York, USA

    Nicholas Bigelow

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  1. Nicholas Bigelow
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Bigelow, N. Spins mixed up. Nature Phys 1, 89–90 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys163

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