May 2, 2015

Quantum-mechanical monopoles discovered




Researchers at Aalto University and Amherst College, USA, have observed a point-like monopole in a quantum field itself for the first time.

(May 2, 2015)  This discovery connects to important characteristics of the elusive monopole magnet. The results were just published in Science magazine.

The researchers performed an experiment in which they manipulated a gas of rubidium atoms prepared in a nonmagnetic state near absolute zero temperature. Under these extreme conditions they were able to create a monopole in the quantum-mechanical field that describes the gas.


journal reference >>