Physicists steer chemical reactions by magnetic fields and quantum interference | Hacker News Reader

Physicists steer chemical reactions by magnetic fields and quantum interference

phys.org

103 pointswrycoder25 comments

For anyone confused by this terribly written article, what I think they are trying to say is the following:

Researchers trap ultracold atoms in a gas that is very dilute. The diluteness means the atoms can't react and combine into molecules because molecules have an exact energy, but two colliding atoms have some other energy, you need a third atom to collide at the same time to take away the excess energy, but this rarely happens when a gas is dilute.

Then they use a magnetic field to modify the electron orbitals in the molecule until its energy is exactly that of two colliding atoms (within that the energy-time uncertainty principle at least). This means two atoms can collide and react together without needing a third to take away the excess energy. When the magnetic field is just right they see a huge increase in chemical reactions and they can compare that with their quantum mechanical calculations of molecular energy orbitals.

What you said made a lot of sense. I wish HS chem was explained in this way.

For me there was a bit too much mystery - the introduction of the third atom explains quite a bit in my mental model.

If you're wanting a fundamentals-oriented introduction to chemistry, "Why Chemical Reactions Happen" is highly recommended, generally aimed at senior-level school kids who are considering specialising in chemistry at university, and which aims to give a sense of how the subject changes when you approach it with more rigour.

1. https://global.oup.com/ukhe/product/why-chemical-reactions-h...

2. https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Reactions-Happen-James-Keele...

AIUI this is also why particles decay into at least two other particles: given the change in mass you can't conserve energy and momentum otherwise.

Thank you for that explanation. Synthesists like you are the champion of whats left of the enlightenment.

Very nice paper in terms of science, but the title of the news sounds like a click bait. This is a very specific effect only happens when you having laser cooled atoms/molecules so you can manipulate their quantum states, otherwise the thermal effect will wipe everything.

I was thinking, this is 21st century physics, leading to processes running in deep space, where cold is plentiful.

I believe this is technically a few orders of magnitude colder than space, but I like your thinking.

As we understand this technique and learn to control it better we might be able to use it at higher temperatures- Space levels.

Exciting times!

also worth noting that cooling stuff below ambient in space is much harder than on earth since you lose convection as a way to dissipate heat

What influences the amplitude of the wavelengths here? I am guessing the magnetic field influences electrons to jump between the various, discrete excited energy levels. Is the quantum interference (I understand from wavelength point of view) — but curious if the scattering of electrons across these excited levels? Asking from amateur physics perspective.

Perhaps also practical for intersecting applications: "These Superabsorbent Batteries Charge Faster the Larger They Get: In the lab, the prototype quantum batteries are charged with light" https://spectrum.ieee.org/quantum-battery :

> Previous work found that matter could act collectively in surprising ways due to quantum physics. For example, in "superradiance," a group of atoms charged up with energy can release a far more intense pulse of light than they could individually.

> In the past decade, researchers have also discovered the reverse of superradiance was possible—superabsorption, with atoms cooperating to display enhanced absorption. However, until now superabsorption was seen for only small numbers of atoms.

[…]

> The new device consists of a reflective waferlike microcavity enclosing a semiconducting organic Lumogen F orange dye, which the researchers charged with energy using a laser. Ultrafast detectors helped the team monitor the way in which this dye charged and stored light energy at femtosecond resolution. As the microcavity size and the number of dye molecules increased, the charging time decreased.

Could a combo PV photovoltaic, storage, full-spectrum e.g. LED product for outdoor and/or indoor applications be created with super absorption, , and superradiance?

Maybe also wrap the thing in thin film (and/or graphene sheets that throw off electrons) to harvest energy off the thermal gradient around the unit; and shape it like self-cleaning petals.

Doesnt everything with electrons have a magnetic field that corresponds to the size & number electrons?

https://ece.northeastern.edu/fac-ece/nian/mom/magfields.html

The joys of small things!

As your link says, in non-magnetic materials (most of them!), the magnetic field of each atom is disorganized, so it goes in every direction and sums up to a near zero result.

Magnets are more organized, so they do have a magnetic field as a whole.

So what would happen to the non magnetic atoms if they had too much of external magnetic force directed at them? Whilst they dont repel or attract like magnetic atoms, they must be influenced repelled or attracted in some way by a really strong external magnetic force (like this article is suggesting) or would/could it break apart the orbiting electrons?

An opposing magnetic field is induced, which can cause the object to float if strong enough: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamagnetism

I think he is referring to microscopic magnetic imperfections in the atoms. It's my understanding these can be exploited to apply force on the atom, but we don't know how. Useful theoretically as a reaction steering mechanism.

What does it mean to be organized? Is magnetism just a vector with an unknown source?

The cumulative effect of majority direction alignment

Sure, but where does that direction come from and why does it matter that there's majority?

Does this mean we're finally learning how to do enzymatic reactions without the enzyme?

Also I wonder what this is going to end up teaching us about EM fields and organisms. Maybe the tinfoil hats weren't entirely wrong...

This is super simple atoms at a millionth of a degree above zero. It has no practical relevance to influencing the outcome of a chemical reaction at normal temperatures. But, it's not every day you can demonstrate a new way to tune chemical reactions, even in extremely specialized environments like these.

Think deep space manufacturing!

yes! this is what space mining is going to be about as well...

If there is only one thing we can praise Elon Musk about, it's getting us closer to this faster...

This is super cool, but I think it’s pretty far from the kind of catalysis that enzymes do, it’s an ultra cold reaction of some like diatomic Na-Li compound. (Molecule?)

Can this be used for chemical isotope separation? Like, with the presence of some magnetic/quantum interference, Pu-240 reacts with some substance, and Pu-239 does not.

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