Poster presentation for the 2008 University Scholars Day at the University of North Texas. This poster discusses research on Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) and their possible applications in quantum computing and optical processing.
In recent years, much progress has been made in producing and manipulating ultracold atoms in Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs). But, as
Williams and Julienne
explain in this Perspective, molecules are poor candidates for the laser cooling techniques commonly used to produce BECs. Many groups are trying to devise techniques for making ultracold molecules. A technique reported by Wynar
et al. (page
1016) has allowed the first observation of molecule formation in a BEC, and may ultimately be able to produce a pure molecular condensate.