The Bose-Einstein Condensate

ATOMIC TRAP cools by means of two different mechanisms

First, six laser beams ( red ) cool atoms, initially at room temperature, while corralling them toward the center of an evacuated glass box.

Next, the laser beams are turned off, and the magnetic coils ( copper ) are energized. Current flowing through the coils generates a magnetic field that further confines most of the atoms while allowing the energetic ones to escape. Thus, the average energy of the remaining atoms decreases, making the sample colder and even more closely confined to the center of the trap.

Ultimately, many of the atoms attain the lowest possible energy state allowed by quantum mechanics and become a single entity known as a Bose-Einstein condensate.