Laser Shower for Molecules: 12 Times the Catch
Catching a single molecule in a beam of light and nearly stopping its motion is like trying to hold a dandelion fluff in a gust of wind. A particle that's too hot slips out of the trap, so physicists first tame its thermal jitters with laser cooling.
The authors applied a technique called Sisyphus cooling to strontium hydroxide (SrOH) molecules.