Balancing atoms probe fundamental symmetries
Mar 27, 2003
Atomic collisions are often unavoidable in physics experiments, and they can be quite a nuisance. In particular, collisions between atoms that possess intrinsic or spin angular momentum can cause the atomic spins to be disoriented. This phenomenon is known as spin exchange and it has many undesirable consequences. Spin-exchange collisions can, for example, kick atoms out of laser-cooled Bose-Einstein condensates or cause changes in the "ticking rate" of atomic clocks.
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