|
|
Article: Electrons in boxes: probing artificial atoms to stretch quantum physics.
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- April 11, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Weird things happen when particles are confined to tiny boxes.
An atom, for example, can be pictured as a spherical container for electrons. The attractive electrical force between the negatively charged electrons and the atom's positively charged nucleus serves as the container's walls.
According to quantum theory, electrons trapped in such minuscule packages follow only certain orbits, each representing a specific energy. Researchers can determine those energies by measuring the wavelengths of light absorbed or emitted by atoms as electrons jump abruptly from one energy level to another.
Nowadays, they can also probe the shenanigans of ...