Sorting Machine for atoms tagged posts

The spin of the blue atoms differs from that of the red atoms. The laser beam shown in red thus only holds the red atoms, while the blue ones can be transported by the differently polarized laser beam to any position. (Image: Carsten Robens/Uni Bonn)

Physicists at the University of Bonn have cleared a further hurdle on the path to creating quantum computers: in a recent study, they present a method with which they can very quickly and precisely sort large numbers of atoms. Imagine you are standing in a grocery store buying apple juice. Unfortunately, all of the crates are half empty because other customers have removed individual bottles at random. So you carefully fill your crate bottle by bottle...