Research
Chinese scientists cool atoms to near absolute zero in record-breaking experiment
Live Science · By Elizabeth Howell ·
The Brief
- Scientists report cooling atoms to 10 picokelvins, which Live Science describes as barely above absolute zero and the coldest temperature ever recorded.
- The cooling was done with a laser trap aboard China's Tiangong space station.
- Live Science reported the experiment on 2026-11-12.
Why it matters
Reaching temperatures this low in orbit, where microgravity is available, could enable cold-atom experiments that are difficult to run on Earth.
Who’s affected
- atomic and quantum physicists
- researchers who use ultracold atoms
- #cold atoms
- #laser cooling
- #space station
- #quantum physics
- #tiangong
Scientists have cooled atoms to the coldest temperature ever recorded, using a laser trap aboard China's Tiangong space station . Tiangong included an experiment in which atoms were cooled to 10 picokelvins, which is barely above absolute zero, the coldest theoretical temperature…