In the wonderful world of physics impossible, at least not right away, but still is possible. But lately scientists have managed to achieve really superawesome things. Science progresses. Only one spaghetti monster knows what else awaits us in her most secret depths. Today we will analyze the top ten of unrealistic things, States, and objects, made possible by modern physics.
Incredibly low temperatures
In the past scientists could not cool objects below the threshold of the so-called “quantum limit”. Something to chill to this state, it is necessary to use a laser with a very slow moving atoms and to suppress the fuel they create vibrations.
However, physicists have found the right solution. They created ultracryogenic aluminum vibrating drum and was able to cool it to 360 mckelvies that 10 000 times lower than the temperature in the depths of outer space.
Drum diameter is only 20 micrometers (the diameter of a human hair is 40-50 microns). Cool to such low temperatures was due to the new technology of so-called “squeezed light” in which all particles have the same direction. In this way, the laser disappear vibration, generating heat. Despite the fact that the drum is cooled to the lowest possible temperature, it is not the coldest form of matter. That title belongs to condensate Bose — Einstein. But even in this case, the achievement plays an important role. As one such method and technology can be used to create ultra-fast electronics, as well as to help in understanding the strange behavior of the materials of the quantum world, approaching in its properties to the physical limits.
The brightest light
The light of the Sun shining bright. Now imagine the light of a billion Suns. It recently established a physics laboratory, actually created the brightest artificial light on Earth, which also behaves in a very unpredictable way. It changes the appearance of objects. However, human vision is available, so it remains to believe the physicists word for it.
Molecular black hole
A group of physicists recently created something that behaves like a black hole. To do this, they took the world’s most powerful x-ray laser Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) and pushed through a molecule iodomethane and iogansona. Initially it was expected that the laser pulse will knock out most of the electrons from the orbit of atoms of iodine, leaving instead a vacuum. In the experiments with weaker lasers that emptiness, as a rule, are immediately filled by electrons of the most external borders of the orbit of the atom. When the laser hit the LCLS, the expected process is indeed started, but then was followed by a truly amazing phenomenon. Having this level of excitation, an atom of iodine began to literally devour electrons from nearby hydrogen atoms and carbon. From the outside it seemed tiny black hole within the molecule.
Subsequent laser pulses are knocked energized electrons, but emptiness is delayed more and more. The cycle was repeated until then, until the entire molecule exploded. Interestingly, the atom of the molecule of iodine was the only one that shows this behavior. Since he averaged more than others, can absorb a huge amount of x-ray energy and to lose its original electrons. This loss leaves the atom with a strong enough positive charge, it attracts electrons from other, smaller atoms.
Metallic hydrogen
It was called “the Holy Grail of high pressure physics”, but until recently no one has been able to succeed in getting it. The possibility of transformation of hydrogen in the metal was first announced in 1935. Physics of the day suggested that this transformation can be called using very strong pressure. The problem lies in the fact that the pressure technology of the time could not establish.
In 2017, the American team of physicists decided to go back to the old idea, but used a different approach. The experiment was conducted inside a special device called a diamond grip. Is generated by these grip pressure is produced by two synthetic diamonds arranged on both sides of the press. Thanks to this device it was possible to achieve incredible pressure: more than 71.7 million pounds per square inch. Even in the center of the Earth the pressure is lower.
A computer chip with brain cells
If to breathe life into the electronics, the light will one day be able to replace electricity. Physics understand the amazing potential of light decades ago, when it became clear that light waves are able to move parallel to each other and thus perform many simultaneous tasks. Our electronics relies on transistors to open and close the way for the movement of electricity. This scheme imposes many restrictions. Recently, however, scientists have created an amazing invention – a computer chip that imitates the human brain. Through the use of interacting beams of light that act like neurons in a living brain, this chip is capable of really “think”.
Previously, scientists could also create a simple artificial neural network, but was occupied by such equipment several laboratory tables. To produce something with the same efficiency, but much smaller, was considered impossible. And yet it failed. The size of the chip, which uses the silicon is only a few millimeters. And computing operations it conducts through 16 integrated neurons. It happens this way. The chip is supplied to the laser light, which is split into several beams, each of which contains the number of the signal or information varying in brightness. The intensity of the laser output provides the answer to a numerical problem or any information for which it was required to provide a solution.
The impossible form of matter
There is a type of matter called “superfluid solid”. And in fact, this matter is not as terrible as it may seem from the title. The fact that this very bizarre form of matter has a crystal structure characteristic of solids but at the same time is a liquid. This paradox has long remained unrealized. However, in 2016, two independent groups of scientists (American and Swiss) created matter, which can rightly be attributed to the properties of a superfluid solid. Interestingly, both teams used different approaches in its creation.
The Swiss have created a condensate of Bose — Einstein (the coldest known matter), cooled to extremely low temperatures a gas of rubidium. Then, the condensate was placed in a two chamber installation each chamber of which was a little to each other mirror. The camera was aimed laser beams, which launched the transformation. Gas particles in response to the laser exposure built crystal structure of solids in General, however, the matter has retained its fluid property.
The Americans got a similar hybrid matter on the basis of a condensate from sodium atoms, which are also strongly cooled and subjected to laser exposure. The latter was used to shift the density of the atoms before the emergence of crystalline structure in liquid form.
Fluid with negative mass
In 2017, physicists have created a really cool thing: a new form of matter, which moves in the direction of the force, her repulsive. Although this is not really a boomerang, but this matter is what can be called negative mass. With positive ground, everything is clear: you give the acceleration of any object, and he begins to move in the direction in which this acceleration has been transferred. However, scientists have created a liquid that works very differently than anything in the physical world. When it is pushed it speeds up the source of the rendered acceleration.
And again for assistance in this matter came condensate Bose — Einstein, whose role was performed by cooling to very low temperatures rubidium atoms. Thus, scientists got a superfluid liquid with a normal weight. Then they are strongly compressed atoms using lasers. Then the second set of lasers they are highly excited atoms, so much so that they have changed their back. When the atoms are released from the clutches of a laser, the reaction is usually liquid would be the desire of the movement from the center of fixation, which in fact can be interpreted as pushing. However, superfluid liquid of rubidium, the atoms of which imparted a sufficient acceleration upon release from the clutches of a laser is left in its place, thus demonstrating a negative mass.
Crystals of time
When Frank Wilczek, Nobel laureate, first proposed the idea of the crystals of time, it seemed insane. Especially in the part which explained that these crystals can possess movement, while remaining at rest, that is, showing the lowest energy level of matter. It seemed impossible, as motion requires energy, and the theory in turn States that in such crystals there is practically no energy. Wilczek believed that perpetual motion can be achieved by modifying the ground state of the atom of the crystal from stationary to periodic. This was in contrast to the known laws of physics, but in 2017, after 5 years from the moment Wilczek suggested it, physicists have found a way to do it. In the end, Harvard University has created the crystal of time, where nitrogen impurities are “rotated” in diamonds.
Bragg mirrors
Growth mirror has a high reflectivity and consists of 1000-2000 atoms. But it is able to reflect light, making it useful where it is necessary to use tiny mirrors, for example, in advanced electronics. The shape of this mirror is also not very common. Its atoms suspended in vacuum and resemble a chain of beads. In 2011, the German group of scientists were able to create Growth mirror, who had at that time the highest level of reflection (about 80 percent). For this, the scientists combined 10 million atoms in a single lattice structure.
However, later research teams from Denmark and France have found a way to significantly reduce the number of required atoms, but to maintain high reflection efficiency. Instead of a dense enterprises around each other, the atoms placed along the microscopic optical fibers. With proper placement of the necessary conditions occur – a light wave is reflected straight back to the point of its beginning. When the transmission of light some of the photons escape outside the fiber, and collide with the atoms. The reflective efficiency, demonstrated by the Danish and French teams, is very different and is about 10 and 75 percent, respectively. However, in both cases, the light returned (i.e., reflected) to the point of its beginning.
In addition to promising benefits in the development of technologies, such mirrors can be useful in quantum devices because atoms optionally use the light field to interact with each other.
Two-dimensional magnet
Physicists were trying to create a two-dimensional magnet with 1970-ies, but always failed. Real 2D magnet must retain their magnetic properties even when separated to the state in which he becomes two-dimensional, or layer with a thickness of only one atom. Scientists even began to doubt that such a thing is even possible.
However, in June of 2017 physics using the [chrome, finally managed to create a two-dimensional magnet. The connection was very interesting from several sides. Its layered crystalline structure well-suited to narrow, and, moreover, its electrons possess the desired direction of spin. These important properties allow [chromium to retain the magnetic properties even after its crystal structure is reduced to the thickness of the last atomic layers.
The world’s first 2D-magnet was able to obtain at a relatively high temperature of -228 degrees Celsius. Its magnetic properties cease to operate at room temperature because it destroys oxygen. However, the experiments continue.
10 impossible things made possible by modern physics
Nikolai Khizhnyak