Quantum gases at minus 273 degrees Celsius
Quantum gases at minus 273 degrees Celsius
Example density distribution of cold quantum gases at approximately minus 273 degrees Celsius. As the temperature of a quantum gas approaches absolute zero, it can transition from a thermal gas (broad density distribution, left) to a Bose-Einstein condensate (very narrow density distribution, right), in which most atoms occupy the same state and behave like a single macroscopic quantum object. This makes their quantum properties easier to observe. The long periods of free fall in microgravity enable highly precise measurements.
