The Centre for Optical and Atomic Physics has been awarded £1.2 million grant from the EPSRC to study the physics of cold atoms.
Professor Ed Hinds and his team, who were involved in the recent near-attainment of BEC, or absolute zero, have been awarded the EPSRC grant to help fund their study of the theoretical and experimental implications of cold-atom physics. The Centre is studying the possibility of using atoms in measuring instruments as light is used now. Currently, light can be bounced off mirrors to create laser-based measuring instruments, but Ed is hoping to 'bounce atoms off atom mirrors,' to create 'enormously, spectacularly sensitive measuuring equipment.' As well as building instruments which will be able to measure previously unquantifiable forces such as gravity, Ed is hoping to work towards the building of a quantum computer "which could solve problems ordinary computers can't, like factorising large numbers." This could revolutionise the way national records are catalogued and kept.
