Putting a spin on light and atoms
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 - 22:14
in Physics & Chemistry
Alkali-vapor magnetometers use light to put a spin on atoms and then measure that spin to detect magnetic fields. Scientists have achieved a remarkable technical advance with this kind of magnetometer, with potential for improving atomic clocks, quantum memory devices, and a range of other scientific gadgets that depend on measuring spinning atoms with light.