Nobel Physics Winner - Prof Wolfgang Ketterle visits Dublin on 24 January 2002
7th January 2002

An archive of Prof. Ketterle's lecture is now available using Realplayer (Broadband/NarrowBand connection)

 

Imagine how cold it is in interstellar space. In the vast expanse of space, temperatures average -270°C.

In a remarkable feat of scientific endeavour, Professor Wolfgang Ketterle from MIT has managed to create matter that is even colder than interstellar space. Prof Ketterle's ultra cold gases of atoms exist at just billionths of degrees above absolute zero (-273°C) and are the coldest matter in the universe.

To create these atoms Prof Ketterle used a combination of laser cooling and evaporative cooling to achieve Bose-Einstein Condensation (BEC). It has been said that perhaps other scientists could have achieved BEC and indeed a number of them have subsequently managed it, but it took an extraordinary mind to make the leap of imagination to figure it out in the first place.

At these incredibly low temperatures matter does some strange things. The atoms can form a beam just like a laser except that this is a matter rather than a light beam. When the optical laser was first invented over 40 years ago, commentators called it a solution looking for a problem. Now the optical laser is ubiquitous. Its functions range from surgical scalpels to supermarket scanners. Undoubtedly Prof Ketterle's atom laser will impact on science, medicine, industry and our everyday lives in the future.

In December 2001 Prof Ketterle was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics and his visit to Ireland is his first speaking trip since the prize was awarded.

Note: Why are atoms and research on atoms important?

Digital information is normally transmitted by either electrons (electronics) or photons (photonics or optical communications). In each case the data takes the form of 'ones' and 'zeros', known as a bit, where the presence/absence of an electron/photon indicates a one bit or zero bit. This is binary or two state information processing.

In the case of an atom, which has many electrons, and can simultaneously have many states, it is possible (in principle) to store a great deal of information in a single atom or BEC - this is known as quantum information processing/ computing and is the subject of much research right now by companies such IBM and the top universities. Ergo, atoms may become the information carriers of the future and not photons or electrons.

A recording of this event is available online in Real format.

Real Video Broadcast (Video and Audio)
- Narrow band (Recommended for 28K, 56K modem and ISDN use) - Broadband Version

In order to view the event in Real Video, you will need the Realplayer by Real Networks.

For further information on Prof. Ketterle and his research please see: http://cua.mit.edu/ketterle_group/

ENDS

For further information on Prof. Ketterle's lecture tour please contact:

Dr. John T. Costello, School of Physical Sciences, DCU and IOP Committee

Phone: 01-7005304

E-mail: john.costello@dcu.ie

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