Physics & Astronomy Associate Professor Tanya Zelevinsky from Columbia University: "Ultracold Molecules as Quantum Clocks"

Laser cooling is a tool that allows physicists to obtain samples of atoms, and even molecules, near the temperature of absolute zero-- colder than anything we observe in the universe. We describe the ideas behind laser cooling of atoms and using them as building blocks for diatomic molecules at ultracold temperatures. The atoms or molecules can be trapped and exquisitely probed with lasers, serving as extremely precise quantum oscillators, or “clocks.” These systems are useful for measurements in fundamental physics, as well as for studies of quantum optics and chemistry.