Researchers Uncover Change In Matter's Properties; Bosons Crystallize In 2-D Traps

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have unveiled a fundamental change in the properties of matter. The theoretical finding, that bosons placed in two-dimensional harmonic traps will crystallize when the strength of their repulsive interactions is increased, appears in the December 3 issue of the journal Physical Review Letters (volume 93, article 230405, 2004).
One of two categories of elementary particles, bosons typically form cloudy aggregates called Bose-Einstein condensates when cooled to temperatures near absolute zero. In the condensate, the particles may be pictured as sitting on top of one another, occupying the same space. But that’s only when their interactions are relatively weak, said Uzi Landman, director of the Center for Computational Materials Science, Regents’ professor and Callaway chair of physics at Georgia Tech.

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