Share

Lasers and Ultracold Atoms Combine in One-of-a-Kind Lab

Dartmouth is home to the first tunable superfluid circuit using electron-like atoms.
At a lab in Wilder Hall, Daniel Allman, Guarini '23, left, and physics professor Kevin Wright observe a segment of the first superfluid circuit that uses ultracold electron-like atoms. (Photo by Robert Gill)

  • Kevin Wright and Daniel Allman

Fully understanding the complexity of Kevin Wright's laboratory in Wilder Hall would require a deep knowledge of ultracold quantum physics. But who has time for that? Understanding a hot cup of coffee could do just fine.

"To visualize what it means for something to be a superfluid, imagine stirring your coffee with a spoon, then removing it," explains Wright, assistant professor of physics and astronomy. "And then imagine that the coffee keeps swirling in circles forever, never coming to rest."

Full story...