Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the U.S. have made a groundbreaking achievement after they captured the first images of individual atoms freely interacting in space.
The images, which show interactions between free-range particles that had only been theorized until now, will reportedly allow the scientists to directly observe quantum phenomena in real space.
To capture detailed images of the atomic interactions, the team, led by Martin Zwierlein, PhD, an MIT physicist and lead author of the study, developed a novel technique that allows the atoms to move freely before briefly freezing and illuminating them to capture their positions.
The team used the technique to observe clouds of various atom types, capturing several groundbreaking images for the first time.
“We are able to see single atoms in these interesting clouds of atoms and what they are doing in relation to each other, which is beautiful,” Zwierlein said.
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