A giant leap for ‘quantum superchemistry’
Ultracold atoms can undergo chemical reactions all at once
US researchers have observed a phenomenon known as ‘quantum superchemistry,’ in which ultracold atoms undergo chemical reactions at a faster rate than usual. The effect was predicted theoretically more than 20 years ago, but this is one of the first times the phenomenon been seen.
One of the main reasons that superchemistry – in which numerous atoms act collectively – has proven so difficult to observe is the need to cool the experiments to near absolute zero, says University of Chicago physicist Cheng Chin.
‘At the moment we have to get to a temperature of about 10nK,’ he says. ‘But our understanding is that if we have more particles, then this condition can be relaxed.’