Physicists Achieve One-Dimensional Gas State Using Light

University of Bonn and RPTU researchers successfully condensed photons into a one-dimensional gas, enabling new quantum effect studies.

Researchers used a laser and dye solution to cool and condense photons in a confined space.
Microscopically structured polymers on reflective surfaces helped trap photons in one dimension.
Thermal fluctuations in one-dimensional gases prevent a precise phase transition point.
The study offers insights into the behavior of quantum gases across different dimensions.
Potential applications for quantum optical effects are being explored from this basic research.