Quantum magnets moving along: Scientists observes coherent propagation of a single spin impurity in a chain of ultracold atoms
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 - 10:30
in Physics & Chemistry
Many discoveries in physics came as a big surprise -- for example the phenomenon, that some materials loose almost all their electrical resistance at low temperatures, or that others become superconductors at unexpectedly high temperatures. In the past it was mainly due to theoreticians to develop models explaining these unusual properties. Unfortunately it is not possible to have a direct look into a solid state crystal and follow up the motion of charge carriers as this process happens at extremely short time and length scales. Scientists have now observed the coherent propagation of single spin excitations in an ultracold quantum gas of strongly correlated atoms.