Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics team sets a new record for ultracold atom temperature. The cold atom engineering platform will support quantum computing in the future.

Chinese scientists have created the coldest known artificial substance in space. The cold-atom research and systems engineering accumulated in support of this achievement have also provided an important foundation for the development of neutral-atom quantum computing. According to a report on November 6, a Chinese research team used the ultracold atom physics experiment cabinet in the Mengtian experiment module of the space station to lower the equivalent temperature of a rubidium atom cloud to 9.7 picokelvin through all-optical trap cooling technology, and achieved continuous observation for as long as 7 seconds. The related results were published in Science.