Scientists propose concept for lasers emitting neutrino rays

In a groundbreaking development, a team of physicists from MIT has proposed a new concept for a "neutrino laser". This innovative idea involves laser-cooling a gas of radioactive atoms to temperatures colder than interstellar space, creating a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC).

A Bose-Einstein condensate is a state of matter that forms when a gas of certain particles is cooled down to near absolute zero. In this state, the particles can start to "feel" each other's quantum effects and act as one coherent entity.

The team, led by physicists Formaggio and Jones, revisited the idea of using a BEC to enhance neutrino production. They considered the phenomenon of superradiance, a quantum optics phenomenon proposed by Jones as potentially possible in a radioactive BEC.

The decay of radioactive atoms naturally releases neutrinos. In a coherent, quantum state, the team predicts that the atoms should radioactively decay in sync, accelerating the production of neutrinos. This synchronized decay, they suggest, would produce an amplified beam of neutrinos, similar to how photons are amplified to produce conventional laser light.

The scientists attempt to measure neutrino mass by harnessing nuclear reactors and particle accelerators to generate unstable atoms, which decay into various byproducts including neutrinos. However, neutrinos interact rarely with matter, making it difficult to measure their exact mass. The proposed neutrino laser could potentially overcome this challenge.

If successful, this experiment could lead to potential uses of the neutrino laser as a neutrino detector or new form of communication. The physicists also envision a neutrino laser could be used as an efficient source of radioisotopes for medical imaging and cancer diagnostics.

However, creating a BEC from radioactive atoms is exceptionally challenging due to their short half-lives. The team plans to test their concept in a small tabletop setup, involving vaporizing, trapping, cooling, and turning radioactive material into a BEC.

The idea of developing a "neutrino laser" realizable in tabletop laboratory experiments was initially developed by physicists at Tohoku University in Japan. If the MIT team's calculations prove accurate, the neutrino laser could revolutionize the field of quantum physics and open up new avenues for research and application.

By cooling rubidium-83 to a coherent, quantum state, the physicists show that the atoms should undergo radioactive decay in mere minutes. The outcome of their calculations showed that a coherent BEC of radioactive atoms would release a laser-like beam of neutrinos more quickly.

The neutrino is a particle smaller than electrons and lighter than photons, and is the most abundant particle with mass in the universe. Understanding the properties of neutrinos and developing technologies to harness their unique characteristics could lead to significant advancements in various fields, from basic physics research to practical applications in medicine and communication.