(IMAGE)

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Caption

Frozen in the trap: In the Paul trap, which consists of four electrodes, cold helium ions stream in from back left. Collisions with particles of the ion crystal, which is suspended in the center of the trap, cause the noble gas atoms to slow down the rotation of the molecular ions and thus cool their rotational temperature.

Credit

J. R. Crespo/O. O. Versolato/MPI for Nuclear Physics

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