Schematic illustration of the experiment. An initial density modualtion is imprinted onto the ultracold atoms held in the optical lattice potential (1). Without any disorder, the density modulation is washed out completely in the ensuing dynamics, indicating relaxation towards a thermal equilibrium state (2). In the presence of sufficiently strong disorder, the researchers find that even for long evolution times the system retains memory of the initial state, indicating a non-thermal state in which the system remains stuck (3). Credit: M. Schreiber, LMU
Using ultracold atoms trapped in light crystals, scientists have observed a novel state of matter that never thermalizes...
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