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Engineering » Cooling with the coldest matter in the world by: Kenny11973(m) .:. Wed, 03 Dec, 2014 - 08:54:58:am GMT
Physicists at the University of Basel have developed a new cooling technique for mechanical quantum systems. Using an ultracold atomic gas, the vibrations of a membrane were cooled down to less than 1 degree above absolute zero. This technique may enable novel studies of quantum physics and precision measurement devices, as the researchers report in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. Ultracold atomic gases are among the coldest objects in existence. Laser beams can be used to trap atoms inside a vacuum chamber and slow down their motion to a crawl, reaching temperatures of less than 1 millionth of a degree above absolute zero -- the temperature at which all motion stops. At such low temperatures, atoms obey the laws of quantum physics: they move around like small wave packets and can be in a superposition of being in several places at once. These features are harnessed in technologies such as atomic clocks and other precision measurement devices. An ultracold atomic fridge Can these ultracold gases also be used as refrigerants, to cool other objects to very low temperatures? This would open up many possibilities for the investigation of quantum physics in new and potentially larger systems. The problem is that the atoms are microscopically small and even the largest clouds produced thus far, which consist of several billion ultracold atoms, still contain far fewer particles than something as small as a grain of sand. As a result, the cooling power of the atoms is limited. A team of University of Basel researchers led by Professor Philipp Treutlein has now succeeded in using ultracold atoms to cool the vibrations of a millimeter-sized membrane. The membrane, a silicon nitride film of 50 nm thickness, oscillates up and down like a small square drumhead. Such mechanical oscillators are never fully at rest but show thermal vibrations that depend on their temperature. Although the membrane contains about a billion times more particles than the atomic cloud, a strong cooling effect was observed, which cooled the membrane vibrations to less than 1 degree above absolute zero. "The trick here is to concentrate the entire cooling power of the atoms on the desired vibrational mode of the membrane," explains Dr. Andreas Jöckel, a member of the project team. The interaction between atoms and membrane is generated by a laser beam. As the physicist explains: "The laser light exerts forces on the membrane and atoms. Vibration of the membrane changes the light force on the atoms and vice versa." The laser transmits the cooling effect over distances of several meters, so the atomic cloud does not have to be in direct contact with the membrane. The coupling is amplified by an optical resonator consisting of two mirrors, between which the membrane is sandwiched. The first experiment of its kind worldwide Systems that use light to couple ultracold atoms and mechanical oscillators have already been proposed theoretically. The experiment at the University of Basel is the first worldwide to realize such a system and use it to cool the oscillator. Further technical improvements should make it possible to cool the membrane vibrations to the quantum-mechanical ground state. For the researchers, cooling the membrane with the atoms is only the first step: "The well- controlled quantum nature of the atoms combined with the light-induced interaction is opening up new possibilities for quantum control of the membrane," says Treutlein. This may enable fundamental quantum physics experiments with a relatively macroscopic mechanical system, visible to the naked eye. It may also be possible to generate what are known as entangled states between atoms and membrane. These would allow measurement of membrane vibrations with unprecedented precision, which in turn could enable the development of new kinds of sensors for small forces and masses. The experiments at the University of Basel were c👎funded by the European Union and are part of the National Center of Competence in Research in Quantum Science and Technology (NCCR QSIT) and the Swiss Nanoscience Institute (SNI).
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Re: Cooling with the coldest matter in the world by: Azeeztaiwo(m) .:. Sun, 09 Aug, 2020 - 09:52:24:am GMT

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Cooling with the coldest matter in the world

Date:
November 24, 2014
Source:
University of Basel
Summary:
Physicists have developed a new cooling technique for mechanical quantum systems. Using an ultracold atomic gas, the vibrations of a membrane were cooled down to less than 1 degree above absolute zero. This technique may enable novel studies of quantum physics and precision measurement devices.
Share:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141124111821.htm" class="ssk-sm ssk-group" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-radius: 0px !important; font-size: 0px;">    
FULL STORY

Physicists at the University of Basel have developed a new cooling technique for mechanical quantum systems. Using an ultracold atomic gas, the vibrations of a membrane were cooled down to less than 1 degree above absolute zero. This technique may enable novel studies of quantum physics and precision measurement devices, as the researchers report in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

Ultracold atomic gases are among the coldest objects in existence. Laser beams can be used to trap atoms inside a vacuum chamber and slow down their motion to a crawl, reaching temperatures of less than 1 millionth of a degree above absolute zero -- the temperature at which all motion stops. At such low temperatures, atoms obey the laws of quantum physics: they move around like small wave packets and can be in a superposition of being in several places at once. These features are harnessed in technologies such as atomic clocks and other precision measurement devices.

An ultracold atomic fridge

Can these ultracold gases also be used as refrigerants, to cool other objects to very low temperatures? This would open up many possibilities for the investigation of quantum physics in new and potentially larger systems. The problem is that the atoms are microscopically small and even the largest clouds produced thus far, which consist of several billion ultracold atoms, still contain far fewer particles than something as small as a grain of sand. As a result, the cooling power of the atoms is limited.

A team of University of Basel researchers led by Professor Philipp Treutlein has now succeeded in using ultracold atoms to cool the vibrations of a millimeter-sized membrane. The membrane, a silicon nitride film of 50 nm thickness, oscillates up and down like a small square drumhead. Such mechanical oscillators are never fully at rest but show thermal vibrations that depend on their temperature. Although the membrane contains about a billion times more particles than the atomic cloud, a strong cooling effect was observed, which cooled the membrane vibrations to less than 1 degree above absolute zero.

"The trick here is to concentrate the entire cooling power of the atoms on the desired vibrational mode of the membrane," explains Dr. Andreas Jöckel, a member of the project team. The interaction between atoms and membrane is generated by a laser beam. As the physicist explains: "The laser light exerts forces on the membrane and atoms. Vibration of the membrane changes the light force on the atoms and vice versa." The laser transmits the cooling effect over distances of several meters, so the atomic cloud does not have to be in direct contact with the membrane. The coupling is amplified by an optical resonator consisting of two mirrors, between which the membrane is sandwiched.

The first experiment of its kind worldwide

Systems that use light to couple ultracold atoms and mechanical oscillators have already been proposed theoretically. The experiment at the University of Basel is the first worldwide to realize such a system and use it to cool the oscillator. Further technical improvements should make it possible to cool the membrane vibrations to the quantum-mechanical ground state.

For the researchers, cooling the membrane with the atoms is only the first step: "The well-controlled quantum nature of the atoms combined with the light-induced interaction is opening up new possibilities for quantum control of the membrane," says Treutlein. This may enable fundamental quantum physics experiments with a relatively macroscopic mechanical system, visible to the naked eye. It may also be possible to generate what are known as entangled states between atoms and membrane. These would allow measurement of membrane vibrations with unprecedented precision, which in turn could enable the development of new kinds of sensors for small forces and masses.

The experiments at the University of Basel were c👎funded by the European Union and are part of the National Center of Competence in Research in Quantum Science and Technology (NCCR QSIT) and the Swiss Nanoscience Institute (SNI).


Story Source:

http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=147556&CultureCode=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(76, 122, 159); text-decoration-line: none; border-radius: 0px !important;">Materials provided by http://www.unibas.ch/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(76, 122, 159); text-decoration-line: none; border-radius: 0px !important;">University of BaselNote: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Andreas Jöckel, Aline Faber, Tobias Kampschulte, Maria Korppi, Matthew T. Rakher, Philipp Treutlein. Sympathetic cooling of a membrane oscillator in a hybrid mechanical–atomic systemNature Nanotechnology, 2014; DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2014.278" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(76, 122, 159); text-decoration-line: none; border-radius: 0px !important;">10.1038/nnano.2014.278

Cite This Page:

University of Basel. "Cooling with the coldest matter in the world." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 November 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141124111821.htm>.

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Re: Cooling with the coldest matter in the world by: Luckygeorge(m) .:. Tue, 11 Aug, 2020 - 02:05:49:pm GMT

temperature at which all motion stops. At such low temperatures, atoms obey the laws of quantum physics: they move around like small wave packets and can be in a superposition of being in several places at once. These features are harnessed in technologies such as atomic clocks and other precision measurement devices. An ultracold atomic fridge Can these ultracold gases also be used as refrigerants, to cool other objects to very low temperatures? This would open up many possibilities for the investigation of quantum physics in new and potentially larger systems. The problem is that the atoms are microscopically small and even the largest clouds produced thus far, which consist of several billion ultracold atoms, still contain far fewer particles than something as small as a grain of sand. As a result, the cooling power of the atoms is limited. A team of University of Basel researchers led by Professor Philipp Treutlein has now succeeded in using ultracold atoms to cool the vibrations of a millimeter-sized membrane. The membrane, a silicon nitride film of 50 nm thickness, oscillates up and down like a small square drumhead. Such mechanical oscillators are never fully at rest but show thermal vibrations that depend on their temperature. Although the membrane contains about a billion times more particles than the atomic cloud, a strong cooling effect was observed, which cooled the membrane vibrations to less than 1 degree above absolute zero. "The trick here is to concentrate the entire cooling power of the atoms on the desired vibrational mode of the membrane," explains Dr. Andreas Jöckel, a member of the project team. The interaction between atoms and membrane is generated by a laser beam. As the physicist explains: "The laser light exerts forces on the membrane and atoms. Vibration of the membrane changes the light force on the atoms and vice versa." The laser transmits the cooling effect over distances of several meters, so the atomic cloud does not have to be in direct contact with the membrane. The coupling is amplified by an optical resonator consisting of two mirrors, between which the membrane is sandwiched. The first experiment of its kind worldwide Systems that use light to couple ultracold atoms and mechanical oscillators have already been proposed theoretically. The experiment at the University of Basel is the first worldwide to realize such a system and use it to cool the oscillator. Further technical improvements should make it possible to cool the membrane vibrations to the quantum-mechanical ground state. For the researchers, cooling the membrane with the atoms is only the first step: "The well- controlled quantum nature of the atoms combined with the light-induced interaction is opening up new possibilities for quantum control of the membrane," says Treutlein. This may enable fundamental quantum physics experiments with a relatively macroscopic mechanical system, visible to the naked eye. It may also be possible to generate what are known as entangled states between atoms and membrane. These would allow measurement of membrane vibrations with unprecedented precision, which in turn could enable the development of new kinds of sensors for small forces and masses.
**Freaky freaky for jesus**


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Re: Cooling with the coldest matter in the world by: Luckygeorge(m) .:. Tue, 11 Aug, 2020 - 05:35:07:pm GMT


@Azeeztaiwo:The spaghetti-like internal structure of most plastics makes it hard for them to cast away heat, but a University of Michigan research team has made a plastic blend that does so 10 times better than its conventional counterparts. Plastics are inexpensive, lightweight and flexible, but because they restrict the flow of heat, their use is limited in technologies like computers, smartphones, cars or airplanes-- places that could benefit from their properties but where heat dissipation is important. The new U-M work could lead to light, versatile, metal-replacement materials that make possible more powerful electronics or more efficient vehicles, among other applications. The new material, which is actually a blend, results from one of the first attempts to engineer the flow of heat in an amorphous polymer. A polymer is a large molecule made of smaller repeating molecules. Plastics are common synthetic polymers. Previous efforts to boost heat transfer in polymers have relied on metal or ceramic filler materials or stretching molecule chains into straight lines. Those approaches can be difficult to scale up and can increase a material's weight and cost, make it more opaque, and affect how it conducts electricity and reflects light. The U- M material has none of those drawbacks, and it's easy to manufacture with conventional methods, the researchers say. "Researchers have paid a lot of attention to designing polymers that conduct electricity well for organic LEDs and solar cells, but engineering of thermal properties by molecular design has been largely neglected, even though there are many current and future polymer applications for which heat transfer is important," said Kevin Pipe, U-M associate professor of mechanical engineering and corresponding author of a paper on the work published in the current issue of Nature Materials. Pipe led the project with Jinsang Kim, another corresponding author and associate professor of materials science and engineering. Heat energy travels through substances as molecular vibrations. For heat to efficiently move through a material, it needs continuous pathways of strongly bound atoms and molecules. Otherwise, it gets trapped, meaning the substance stays hot. "The polymer chains in most plastics are like spaghetti," Pipe said. "They're long and don't bind well to each other. When heat is applied to one end of the material, it causes the molecules there to vibrate, but these vibrations, which carry the heat, can't move between the chains well because the chains are so loosely bound together." The Pipe and Kim research groups devised a way to strongly link long polymer chains of a plastic called polyacrylic acid (PAA) with short strands of another called polyacryloyl piperidine (PAP). The new blend relies on hydrogen bonds that are 10-t👎100 times stronger than the forces that loosely hold together the long strands in most other plastics. "We improved those connections so the heat energy can find continuous pathways through the material," Kim said. "There's still a long way to go, but this is a very important step we made to understand how to engineer plastics in this way. Ten times better is still a lot lower heat conductivity than metals, but we've opened the door to continue improving." To arrive at these results, the researchers blended PAP plastic strands separately with three other polymers that they knew would form hydrogen bonds in different ways. Then they tested how each conducted heat. "We found that some samples conducted heat exceptionally well," said Gun-Ho Kim, first author of the paper and a postdoctoral fellow in mechanical engineering and materials science and engineering. "By performing numerous measurements of the polymer blend structures and their physical properties, we learned many important material design principles that govern heat transfer in amorphous polymers.
**Freaky freaky for jesus**


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Re: Cooling with the coldest matter in the world by: Luckygeorge(m) .:. Tue, 11 Aug, 2020 - 05:36:40:pm GMT


@Azeeztaiwo:Physicists at the University of Basel have developed a new cooling technique for mechanical quantum systems. Using an ultracold atomic gas, the vibrations of a membrane were cooled down to less than 1 degree above absolute zero. This technique may enable novel studies of quantum physics and precision measurement devices, as the researchers report in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. Ultracold atomic gases are among the coldest objects in existence. Laser beams can be used to trap atoms inside a vacuum chamber and slow down their motion to a crawl, reaching temperatures of less than 1 millionth of a degree above absolute zero -- the temperature at which all motion stops. At such low temperatures, atoms obey the laws of quantum physics: they move around like small wave packets and can be in a superposition of being in several places at once. These features are harnessed in technologies such as atomic clocks and other precision measurement devices. An ultracold atomic fridge Can these ultracold gases also be used as refrigerants, to cool other objects to very low temperatures? This would open up many possibilities for the investigation of quantum physics in new and potentially larger systems. The problem is that the atoms are microscopically small and even the largest clouds produced thus far, which consist of several billion ultracold atoms, still contain far fewer particles than something as small as a grain of sand. As a result, the cooling power of the atoms is limited. A team of University of Basel researchers led by Professor Philipp Treutlein has now succeeded in using ultracold atoms to cool the vibrations of a millimeter-sized membrane. The membrane, a silicon nitride film of 50 nm thickness, oscillates up and down like a small square drumhead. Such mechanical oscillators are never fully at rest but show thermal vibrations that depend on their temperature. Although the membrane contains about a billion times more particles than the atomic cloud, a strong cooling effect was observed, which cooled the membrane vibrations to less than 1 degree above absolute zero. "The trick here is to concentrate the entire cooling power of the atoms on the desired vibrational mode of the membrane," explains Dr. Andreas Jöckel, a member of the project team. The interaction between atoms and membrane is generated by a laser beam. As the physicist explains: "The laser light exerts forces on the membrane and atoms. Vibration of the membrane changes the light force on the atoms and vice versa." The laser transmits the cooling effect over distances of several meters, so the atomic cloud does not have to be in direct contact with the membrane. The coupling is amplified by an optical resonator consisting of two mirrors, between which the membrane is sandwiched. The first experiment of its kind worldwide Systems that use light to couple ultracold atoms and mechanical oscillators have already been proposed theoretically. The experiment at the University of Basel is the first worldwide to realize such a system and use it to cool the oscillator. Further technical improvements should make it possible to cool the membrane vibrations to the quantum-mechanical ground state. For the researchers, cooling the membrane with the atoms is only the first step: "The well- controlled quantum nature of the atoms combined with the light-induced interaction is opening up new possibilities for quantum control of the membrane," says Treutlein. This may enable fundamental quantum physics experiments with a relatively macroscopic mechanical system, visible to the naked eye. It may also be possible to generate what are known as entangled states between atoms and membrane. These would allow measurement of membrane vibrations with unprecedented precision, which in turn could enable the development of new kinds of sensors for small forces and masses. 
**Freaky freaky for jesus**


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Re: Cooling with the coldest matter in the world by: Sharpminds(m) .:. Wed, 12 Aug, 2020 - 08:21:38:am GMT


@Luckygeorge:



 


   Engineering » Cooling with the coldest matter in the world by: Kenny11973(m) .:.  Wed, 03 Dec, 2014 - 08:54:58:am GMT
Physicists at the University of Basel have developed a new cooling technique for mechanical quantum systems. Using an ultracold atomic gas, the vibrations of a membrane were cooled down to less than 1 degree above absolute zero. This technique may enable novel studies of quantum physics and precision measurement devices, as the researchers report in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. Ultracold atomic gases are among the coldest objects in existence. Laser beams can be used to trap atoms inside a vacuum chamber and slow down their motion to a crawl, reaching temperatures of less than 1 millionth of a degree above absolute zero -- the temperature at which all motion stops. At such low temperatures, atoms obey the laws of quantum physics: they move around like small wave packets and can be in a superposition of being in several places at once. These features are harnessed in technologies such as atomic clocks and other precision measurement devices. An ultracold atomic fridge Can these ultracold gases also be used as refrigerants, to cool other objects to very low temperatures? This would open up many possibilities for the investigation of quantum physics in new and potentially larger systems. The problem is that the atoms are microscopically small and even the largest clouds produced thus far, which consist of several billion ultracold atoms, still contain far fewer particles than something as small as a grain of sand. As a result, the cooling power of the atoms is limited. A team of University of Basel researchers led by Professor Philipp Treutlein has now succeeded in using ultracold atoms to cool the vibrations of a millimeter-sized membrane. The membrane, a silicon nitride film of 50 nm thickness, oscillates up and down like a small square drumhead. Such mechanical oscillators are never fully at rest but show thermal vibrations that depend on their temperature. Although the membrane contains about a billion times more particles than the atomic cloud, a strong cooling effect was observed, which cooled the membrane vibrations to less than 1 degree above absolute zero. "The trick here is to concentrate the entire cooling power of the atoms on the desired vibrational mode of the membrane," explains Dr. Andreas Jöckel, a member of the project team. The interaction between atoms and membrane is generated by a laser beam. As the physicist explains: "The laser light exerts forces on the membrane and atoms. Vibration of the membrane changes the light force on the atoms and vice versa." The laser transmits the cooling effect over distances of several meters, so the atomic cloud does not have to be in direct contact with the membrane. The coupling is amplified by an optical resonator consisting of two mirrors, between which the membrane is sandwiched. The first experiment of its kind worldwide Systems that use light to couple ultracold atoms and mechanical oscillators have already been proposed theoretically. The experiment at the University of Basel is the first worldwide to realize such a system and use it to cool the oscillator. Further technical improvements should make it possible to cool the membrane vibrations to the quantum-mechanical ground state. For the researchers, cooling the membrane with the atoms is only the first step: "The well- controlled quantum nature of the atoms combined with the light-induced interaction is opening up new possibilities for quantum control of the membrane," says Treutlein. This may enable fundamental quantum physics experiments with a relatively macroscopic mechanical system, visible to the naked eye. It may also be possible to generate what are known as entangled states between atoms and membrane. These would allow measurement of membrane vibrations with unprecedented precision, which in turn could enable the development of new kinds of sensors for small forces and masses. The experiments at the University of Basel were c👎funded by the European Union and are part of the National Center of Competence in Research in Quantum Science and Technology (NCCR QSIT) and the Swiss Nanoscience Institute (SNI).
**kenny g**

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   Re: Cooling with the coldest matter in the world by: Azeeztaiwo(m) .:.  Sun, 09 Aug, 2020 - 09:52:24:am GMT
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Cooling with the coldest matter in the world
Date:
November 24, 2014
Source:
University of Basel
Summary:
Physicists have developed a new cooling technique for mechanical quantum systems. Using an ultracold atomic gas, the vibrations of a membrane were cooled down to less than 1 degree above absolute zero. This technique may enable novel studies of quantum physics and precision measurement devices.
Share:
FULL STORY
Physicists at the University of Basel have developed a new cooling technique for mechanical quantum systems. Using an ultracold atomic gas, the vibrations of a membrane were cooled down to less than 1 degree above absolute zero. This technique may enable novel studies of quantum physics and precision measurement devices, as the researchers report in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

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Ultracold atomic gases are among the coldest objects in existence. Laser beams can be used to trap atoms inside a vacuum chamber and slow down their motion to a crawl, reaching temperatures of less than 1 millionth of a degree above absolute zero -- the temperature at which all motion stops. At such low temperatures, atoms obey the laws of quantum physics: they move around like small wave packets and can be in a superposition of being in several places at once. These features are harnessed in technologies such as atomic clocks and other precision measurement devices.

An ultracold atomic fridge

Can these ultracold gases also be used as refrigerants, to cool other objects to very low temperatures? This would open up many possibilities for the investigation of quantum physics in new and potentially larger systems. The problem is that the atoms are microscopically small and even the largest clouds produced thus far, which consist of several billion ultracold atoms, still contain far fewer particles than something as small as a grain of sand. As a result, the cooling power of the atoms is limited.

A team of University of Basel researchers led by Professor Philipp Treutlein has now succeeded in using ultracold atoms to cool the vibrations of a millimeter-sized membrane. The membrane, a silicon nitride film of 50 nm thickness, oscillates up and down like a small square drumhead. Such mechanical oscillators are never fully at rest but show thermal vibrations that depend on their temperature. Although the membrane contains about a billion times more particles than the atomic cloud, a strong cooling effect was observed, which cooled the membrane vibrations to less than 1 degree above absolute zero.

"The trick here is to concentrate the entire cooling power of the atoms on the desired vibrational mode of the membrane," explains Dr. Andreas Jöckel, a member of the project team. The interaction between atoms and membrane is generated by a laser beam. As the physicist explains: "The laser light exerts forces on the membrane and atoms. Vibration of the membrane changes the light force on the atoms and vice versa." The laser transmits the cooling effect over distances of several meters, so the atomic cloud does not have to be in direct contact with the membrane. The coupling is amplified by an optical resonator consisting of two mirrors, between which the membrane is sandwiched.

The first experiment of its kind worldwide

Systems that use light to couple ultracold atoms and mechanical oscillators have already been proposed theoretically. The experiment at the University of Basel is the first worldwide to realize such a system and use it to cool the oscillator. Further technical improvements should make it possible to cool the membrane vibrations to the quantum-mechanical ground state.

For the researchers, cooling the membrane with the atoms is only the first step: "The well-controlled quantum nature of the atoms combined with the light-induced interaction is opening up new possibilities for quantum control of the membrane," says Treutlein. This may enable fundamental quantum physics experiments with a relatively macroscopic mechanical system, visible to the naked eye. It may also be possible to generate what are known as entangled states between atoms and membrane. These would allow measurement of membrane vibrations with unprecedented precision, which in turn could enable the development of new kinds of sensors for small forces and masses.

The experiments at the University of Basel were c👎funded by the European Union and are part of the National Center of Competence in Research in Quantum Science and Technology (NCCR QSIT) and the Swiss Nanoscience Institute (SNI).

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