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New design tackles heat challenges in high-power fiber lasers

Researchers at Fraunhofer IOF have developed a single-material cladding light stripper with self-adapting behavior, overcoming nonlinear effects and heat buildup in thulium fiber lasers. The design enables over 20 W of stripped signal light at 2 µm and up to 675 W at 793 nm, setting a new record for single-material CLS designs.

SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics Nexus·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 3, 2025

Cold atoms on a chip

UC Santa Barbara researchers develop photonic integrated 3D-MOT, a miniaturized version of equipment used to trap and cool atoms. This innovation enables new applications in sensing, precision timekeeping, and quantum computing, and paves the way for accessible quantum research projects.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalOptica Quantum·DateMar 4, 2025

On the way to a “new” second

A newly developed ion crystal clock has demonstrated record accuracy, reaching an uncertainty close to the 18th decimal place. This achievement marks a significant step towards redefining the second in the International System of Units (SI), as optical clocks are now 100 times more accurate than current caesium clocks.

SourcePhysikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB)·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 17, 2025

Cooling positronium with lasers

Positronium, an exotic atom composed of an electron and a positron, has been cooled to just 1 degree above absolute zero. This achievement could aid in studying the properties of antimatter and potentially unlock secrets of the universe.

SourceUniversity of Tokyo·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 11, 2024

Quantum entanglement between electronic and motional states in cold-atom quantum simulator

The researchers have successfully demonstrated quantum entanglement between electronic and motional states in their ultrafast quantum simulator, generating a new quantum simulation method including repulsive force between particles. This achievement is expected to improve the fidelity of two-qubit gate operations and realize socially u...

SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 2, 2024

Positronium laser cooling

Researchers successfully cooled positronium atoms to record-low temperatures of 170 K, significantly reducing their transverse velocity component. This achievement has far-reaching implications for precision spectroscopy and the study of quantum electrodynamics.

SourcePolitecnico di Milano·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeObservational study·DateFeb 27, 2024

Optical-fiber based single-photon light source at room temperature for next-generation quantum processing

Scientists create a low-cost, room-temperature single-photon light source by doping optical fibers with ytterbium ions, paving the way for affordable quantum technologies. The innovation overcomes cooling system limitations, enabling applications in true random number generation, quantum communication and high-resolution image analysis.

SourceTokyo University of Science·JournalPhysical Review Applied·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 2, 2023

Way cool: UVA professor developing ‘freeze ray’ technology for the Air Force

UVA professor Patrick Hopkins is developing a 'freeze ray' technology to cool electronics in spacecraft and high-altitude jets, which can't be cooled by nature due to the vacuum of space. The technology uses heat-generating plasma to create localized cooling, and has been granted $750,000 by the Air Force.

SourceUniversity of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science·JournalACS Nano·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 31, 2023

A new technique for cooling membranes with lasers

Scientists have developed a new technique to cool membranes with lasers, achieving temperatures close to absolute zero without measurement. The method uses a coherent feedback loop, where laser light acts as both sensor and damper, to dampen thermal vibrations and reach extremely low temperatures.

SourceUniversity of Basel·JournalPhysical Review X·DateJun 26, 2023

A motion freezer for many particles

A team from TU Wien has developed a method to cool several particles simultaneously by adapting the spatial structure of a laser beam to particle motion. The technique uses far-field wavefront shaping to optimize cooling and can be achieved without knowing the exact location or movement of the particles.

SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateFeb 28, 2023

Rice lab’s quantum simulator delivers new insight

Physicists at Rice University have created a quantum simulator that reveals the behavior of electrons in one-dimensional wires, shedding light on spin-charge separation. The study's findings have implications for quantum computing and electronics with atom-scale wires.

SourceRice University·JournalScience·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 16, 2022

Yale's cool molecules

Yale physicists have successfully cooled strontium monofluoride to near absolute zero using magneto-optical trapping, enabling new research in quantum chemistry and particle physics. The discovery opens doors for experimentation in precision measurement, quantum simulation, ultracold chemistry, and tests of the standard model.

SourceYale University·JournalNature·DateAug 21, 2014

Scientists from Bonn cool gas by laser bombardment

Researchers at the University of Bonn have demonstrated a method for cooling gas using laser bombardment, which works under pressure. The technique allows for rapid refrigeration capacities, enabling the creation of new states of matter and potentially leading to the development of mini fridges.

SourceUniversity of Bonn·JournalNature·DateSep 2, 2009

Controlling most atoms now possible

Researchers have developed techniques to control most atoms using atomic coilguns and lasers, enabling the determination of neutrino mass and potential applications in atomic physics. The breakthroughs use a combination of supersonic beam technology and single-photon cooling methods.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateMar 6, 2008

Atoms under control

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute have cooled single rubidium atoms in an optical resonator for up to 17 seconds, a record-breaking achievement. This milestone demonstrates the potential of atomic manipulation for quantum computing applications.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalNature Physics·DateOct 11, 2005