Bose Einstein Condensate Future Uses

[ahmedabdelgwad]

I've been studying the the bose einstein condensate for a few weeks now and i want to know if this idea would have any future impact. Would it be theoretically possible to use the condensate for imaging uses to record beyond 10000 fps because it slows down light.

 

[neuvik]

Why would slowing down the light be needed for imaging or photography?

I can't see it being pratical because of the outrageously low temperature require for the condensate.

 

[Gravity_Ray]

I love the subject of Bose Einstein condensate, however, its not a natural state (nothing in nature gets that cold). So there aren’t many uses for this beyond mental gymnastics for physicists.

Only a couple of articles about possible things to do with it, like atoms in a super fluid state (which is not technically a Bose Einstein condensate) but close to it. This is very interesting (Google it). Maybe atomic clocks? Mathematical factoring?

Anyway, I think there is something there for the future to use this 5th state of matter, but right now its just for experiments.

 

[captdude]

I would think it could be used for encryption purposes as well.

 

[MeteorWayne]

You would be completely wrong

Apparently, you don't understand what a BEC is.

 

[Mee_n_Mac]

Why would slowing down the light be needed for imaging or photography?

I can't see it being pratical because of the outrageously low temperature require for the condensate.

I'm guessing the OP was thinking of making ultra high speed video to capture some transient event. I think we can safely toss any notion of practicality out the window and not just for the reasons you've already stated. First the OP would have to figure out how to keep the light coherent, focused and w/o much loss (? across a wide band of wavelengths ?) while passing through his BEC delay line. Then he'd have to mate the sensor up to the "back" of his BEC delay line and make that work. Presumably the thinking is that as the photons go slower through the BEC, merely fast shutter speeds become ultra-fast relative to the slowed photons. Of course the photons are hitting the "front" of this contraption at the normal rate so it's becoming a memory device, filling up as light comes in faster than it's reaching the "back". It better be a short transient he's photographing. But the big theoretical problem is mating the sensor to the "back" of the BEC. Let's say there's a small air gap. Photons exitting the BEC are now back up to normal light speed at the sensor and all you've achieved is a delay in getting them there. It doesn't matter how small the gap is, the effect is the same. Then consider that the sensor itself has some physical dimension so unless it's also somehow made of "BEC material" it will have the same effect as an airgap. So I don't see how there's anyway to make this scheme work.

 

[MeteorWayne]

Look for this in The Unexplained in the near future...or the near past, depending on how BECs work

 

[captdude]

captdude wrote
I believe BEC could be used for encryption purposes as well.

MeteorWayne wrote
You would be completely wrong
Apparently, you don't understand what a BEC is.

Hmmmmmmm. OK, it would seem the gauntlet has been thrown down and I accept your challenge :!: Here is my reply to your statement and the rules of the contest

1) I assure you I do know and understand the working of a BEC. (probably not to the degree that you do; but well enough nevertheless)
2) Although I threw my statement out there off the top of my head - I still stand by it.
3) Let’s see if I can change your mind.
4) I don’t want to knit pick about the usefulness or details of the point. The question was referring to future uses.
5) I am open to being proven wrong and learning from your (or anyones) reply. That’s why I am here.

(A) Why couldn't information be encrypted and stored within the BEC simply by "covering" and "uncovering" the number of atoms within the cloud? (to my knowledge the number of atoms within the cloud are will always equal one)
(B) There are many lines of research into using CED for quantum computing, and even though I am fully cognizant of the fact that the research is directed towards deciphering encrypted information, I would think it could be used for the opposite purposes as well.
(C) What about storing information in the waveform or entanglement of a quantum state. Is there a reason these applications would not apply to a BEC?