分子玻色凝聚体初露曙光

德州大学奥斯分校（University of Texas at Austin)的实验小组最近以受激拉曼跃迁的方法的将玻色－爱因斯坦凝聚体（Bose-Einstein condensate）中的铷原子转换为单一内部能态，温度约为100nK的铷分子（Rb2)^1P。美国国家标准局（NIST）的资深物理学家Paul Julienne说，这可能是宇宙中最冷的分子。由于用传统的激光冷却的方式产生超冷分子有一定的难度，奥斯汀小组的实验为此另辟一条新种，并为分子凝聚体（molecular condensate）的诞生跨出了第一步。

THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS REALIZATION OF MOLECULAR CONDENSATE

A group at the University of Texas at Austin has recently created Rb\-2 moleculaes from a Rubidium\|87 Bose\|Einstein condensate with two\|photon stimulated Raman transitions.The molecules are in a single ro\|vibrational level and have a temperature on the order of 100nK.These might be the coldest molecules in the universe,as says Paul Julienne,a senior atomic physicist at NIST.This method provides an alternative route for formation of ultra\|cold molecules which are still not achievable with the traditional laser cooling and trapping techniques,and may lead to the first realization of molecular Bose\|Einstein condensate.