Bose-Einstein Condensates: The Coldest State of Matter

Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) form when atoms are cooled to near absolute zero (-273.15°C).
At this extreme cold, particles occupy the same quantum state, behaving as a single “super atom.”
BECs were first created in the lab in 1995 by Eric Cornell and Carl Wieman.
They demonstrate quantum phenomena on a macroscopic scale, visible to experiments rather than just theory.
Atoms in a BEC move extremely slowly, sometimes barely at all, due to minimal thermal energy.
BECs allow scientists to study quantum mechanics in ways impossible at higher temperatures.
They have applications in precision measurement, quantum computing, and simulation of exotic physics.
Superfluidity, where a liquid flows without friction, can occur in certain BECs.
BECs help researchers explore fundamental questions about matter, energy, and quantum behavior.
This “fifth state of matter” reveals the strange, counterintuitive properties of the quantum world made tangible.