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| An extremely cold gas of strontium atoms is trapped in a web of light known as an optical lattice. The atoms are held in an ultrahigh-vacuum environment, which means there is almost no air or other gases present. This vacuum helps preserve the atoms’ delicate quantum states, which are fragile. The red dot you see in the image is a reflection of the laser light used to create the atom trap. Credit: K. Palubicki / NIST. |
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