Researchers have created a new type of "ultracold"
molecule, using lasers to cool atoms nearly to absolute zero and then gluing
them together, a technology that might be applied to quantum computing, precise
sensors and advanced simulations.
"It sounds counterintuitive, but you can use lasers to
take away the kinetic energy, resulting in radical cooling," said Yong P.
Chen, an associate professor of physics and electrical and computer engineering
at Purdue University.