Chinese scientists cool atoms to near absolute zero in record-breaking space experiment

Chinese scientists achieved a record-breaking temperature cooling of atoms aboard the Tiangong space station, using a laser trap known as optical tweezers or optical-dipole trap. The atoms were chilled to a remarkable 10 picokelvins, just above the ultimate theoretical temperature limit called absolute zero, which is minus 273.15 degrees Celsius.

This extraordinary temperature was attained by restricting the atoms' motion in the trap and taking advantage of the weightlessness on the space station. The experiment could pave the way for new space-based research, particularly in quantum simulation and precision measurements. Nonetheless, scientists are unlikely to reach absolute zero, as the third law of thermodynamics suggests particles would still possess a small amount of entropy.

The study also created a Bose-Einstein condensate, a unique state of matter where ultra-cold atoms behave like a single entity, demonstrating the successful coolness of the atoms in microgravity.