A quantum prediction from 1931 just came to life
Physicists have successfully created and observed 'Bethe strings,' a quantum state predicted by Hans Bethe in 1931. By cooling cesium atoms to near absolute zero in one-dimensional tubes, researchers were able to observe these unique multiparticle bound states.
Why it matters
This experimental validation confirms a century-old theoretical prediction and provides a new platform for studying quantum many-body physics.
Nearly a century after Nobel laureate Hans Bethe predicted their existence, scientists have created and observed unusual quantum structures known as "Bethe strings" using ultracold atoms. The experiment, led by quantum physicist Hanns-Christoph N gerl, provides researchers with a highly controllable way to explore these unusual quantum many-body states.
In 1931, physicist Hans Bethe proposed that particles in certain quantum systems restricted to one dimension could join together into collective states now called Bethe strings. These structures differ fundamentally from familiar molecules. Rather than being connected through chemical bonds, the particles remain bound because of their interactions with one another, and the resulting states can exist only in one dimension.
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