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Physicists Propose Neutrino Laser Using Radioactive Bose–Einstein Condensates

A peer-reviewed theory describes triggering superradiant decay in a radioactive condensate to produce a coherent neutrino burst.

Overview

  • Ben Jones of UT Arlington and Joseph Formaggio of MIT outline the concept in Physical Review Letters.
  • The scheme uses superradiance in a Bose–Einstein condensate to synchronize radioactive decays and amplify neutrino emission, extending the effect to fermions.
  • Calculations show that roughly one million rubidium-83 atoms could compress an ~82–86 day half-life into a burst occurring over minutes.
  • The team aims to attempt a tabletop demonstration by vaporizing, trapping, and laser-cooling a radioactive sample into a condensate.
  • Creating a radioactive condensate has never been achieved, and experts describe the idea as challenging yet promising for compact, correlated neutrino sources with potential applications such as through-Earth communication and medical isotope production.