Physicists froze a 'necklace' of atoms — and witnessed a quantum phenomenon predicted 100 years ago
Atoms confined to a single line can bind into clusters called Bethe strings. A new experiment points to a mix of many such clusters, though the evidence is still indirect.
Scientists have created a "necklace" of ultracold atoms and observed a quantum phenomenon predicted over a century ago. In 1931, physicist Hans Bethe discovered that when certain particles attract each other, they can form clusters called Bethe strings. Earlier this year, researchers found evidence of these clusters in a line of atoms.
To create the "necklace," the team made a Bose-Einstein condensate with cesium atoms cooled to near absolute zero. By gradually changing the repulsion between atoms to attraction, they formed strings of atoms in a single line. When the atoms were released to move freely, the strings broke apart, releasing binding energy as motion.
The researchers estimated that the strings consisted of at least six atoms and found that their behavior matched predictions from a theory called generalized hydrodynamics. While the strings likely don't last long, this discovery provides evidence for a fundamental quantum phenomenon that could help explain the behavior of complex systems in materials like magnets and phone chips.
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