BOSE EINSTIEN CONDENSATE:

In condensed matter physics, a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) is a state of matter that is typically

formed when a gas of bosons at very low densities is cooled to temperatures very close to absolute
zero (−273.15 °C or −459.67 °F). Under such conditions, a large fraction of bosons occupy the
lowest quantum state, at which point microscopic quantum mechanical phenomena,
particularly wavefunction interference, become apparent macroscopically. A BEC is formed by cooling a
gas of extremely low density (about 100,000 times less dense than normal air) to ultra-low temperatures.
Explanation and formation:
Quantum theory’s central idea was that atoms don’t always behave like particles, sometimes the merge
together and behave like waves.
As they temperature decreases, each of the atoms start displaying wave like properties.
As we get to lower and lower temperatures the wave gets longer and longer and form wave packets. Just a
hair above absolute zero, the length of the wave becomes bigger than the average distance between two
atoms . Then at this temperature they all the particles(bosons) are able to stay at the same energy in th1e
same quantum state and form the bose-einstien condensate.
Properties
 super unexcited and super cold atoms.
 Have very low kinetic energy. Because of extremely cold temperatures particles move so
slowly, there is almost no movement at all. Unlike solids they look completely still.
 Atoms exhibit negative effect mass.
a type of exotic matter whose mass is of opposite sign to the mass of normal matter, e.g. −1 kg.
 Lowest energy state.
 Particle behave like waves and are clumped together.
 Even though BEC is quite stable, and waves and clumped together, it is very compressible.
 Has unusual property of slowing down light.

Examples
 Liquid hydrogen
 Superconductors-A superconductor is a material that achieves superconductivity, which is a state
of matter that has no electrical resistance and does not allow magnetic fields to penetrate
 Superfluids-Superfluidity is the characteristic property of a fluid with zero viscosity(zero
resistance to flow) which therefore flows without any loss of kinetic energy.

Applications
 Helpful in quantum simulators: we use them to recreate more complex situations, like
superconductors of other properties of solid.
 create atom lasers, atomic clocks and gravitational, rotational or magnetic sensors with
excellent sensitivity
 Quantum information processing- concept of quantum computer.
 Precision measurement by development of most sensitive detectors using BEC

Discovery
The BEC phenomenon was first predicted by Satyendra Bose and Albert Einstein. Bose first sent a
paper to Einstein on the quantum statistics of photons, in which he derived Planck's quantum
radiation law without any reference to classical physics.
Einstein translated the paper himself from English to German and submitted it for Bose, which
published it in 1924. On 5 June 1995, the first gaseous condensate was produced by Eric
Cornell and Carl Wieman at the University of Colorado at Boulder NIST–JILA lab, in a gas
of rubidium atoms cooled to 170 nanokelvins (nK). Shortly thereafter, Wolfgang
Ketterle at MIT produced a Bose–Einstein Condensate in a gas of sodium atoms. For their
achievements Cornell, Wieman, and Ketterle received the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics

Artificial making
To make a Bose-Einstein condensate, you start with a cloud of diffuse gas. Many experiments
start with atoms of rubidium. Then you cool it with lasers(Atoms can be cooled using lasers
because light particles from the laser beam are absorbed and re-emitted by the atoms,
causing them to lose some of their kinetic energy. After thousands of such impacts, the
atoms are chilled to within billionths of a degree above absolute zero), using the beams to
take energy away from the atoms. After that, to cool them further, scientists use evaporative
cooling.

Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNFi0DqR2T8
NASA explores the creation of the Bose-Einstein condensate - YouTube