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Scientists can fit over 100 atoms inside a single Rydberg atom using Bose-Einstein Condensates
Key points
- Atoms are mostly empty space, with electron orbitals much larger than the nucleus.
- Rydberg atoms are created by exciting an electron to a larger, more distant orbital.
- Rydberg atoms can be over 1000 times wider than normal atoms.
- Bose-Einstein Condensates (BECs) are used to cool atoms to prevent electron disruption.
The Empty Space Within Atoms
Atoms are predominantly empty space, with the radius of an atom's nucleus being tens of thousands of times smaller than the radius of an electron's orbital. This significant difference in scale allows for the possibility of fitting other atoms within this vast empty volume.
Creating Large Rydberg Atoms
To accommodate other atoms, a single atom is made significantly larger through a process called electron excitation. This involves an electron absorbing energy and moving to a farther, more loosely bound orbital. By carefully tuning the energy input, scientists can create Rydberg atoms, which can be over 1000 times wider than a normal atom. Johannes Rydberg discovered the pattern in atomic spectra that led to the theory of electron energy levels.
Utilizing Bose-Einstein Condensates
To prevent the atoms placed inside the Rydberg atom from disrupting its excited electron, these inner atoms must have very low energy. This is achieved by cooling them to an exotic state of matter known as a Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC). At temperatures well below a millionth of a degree above absolute zero, a cluster of atoms in a BEC shares the same quantum state, minimizing their movement and energy.
Implications of the Discovery
This technique allows for the theoretical placement of over a hundred atoms within a single Rydberg atom without violating the laws of physics. The ability to control and manipulate atoms in this manner has implications for quantum physics research, enabling observation of quantum effects.
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Reporting from
Scientists have demonstrated the ability to place over a hundred normal atoms inside a single, enlarged Rydberg atom. This is achieved by exciting an electron in one atom to a much larger orbital, creating a Rydberg atom, and then cooling other atoms into a Bose-Einstein Condensate to prevent them from disrupting the Rydberg atom's electron.