94: From Technological Warfare to Space Empire

Chapter 109 We need to get all the equipment ready!

Academician Zhou's words resonated deeply.

A brief silence fell over the meeting room.

Lin Yu looked at the old academician who had been silent during their previous conversation, but now spoke with a face full of resentment.

He didn't know what to say.

Many people in this era yearn for the West.

They are using the country's money, the country's personnel, and the country's resources.

He dashed over there in a flash.

He knew that Academician Zhou was telling the truth.

It's not that we don't need the Nobel Prize.

It's about letting the whole world see it.

The Nobel Prize is just a title.

True scientific achievements do not need to be proven by Western awards.

"Old Zhou is right."

Academician Wang took over the conversation, his voice tinged with emotion.

"But let's not be so absolute in our statements."

"If we can win the Nobel Prize, then we should win it too."

"Even if they didn't want to give it to us, they still gave it to us in the end. Isn't that great?"

"Xiaoyu, what equipment do you need for your BEC solution? Let's discuss it first."

Lin Yu nodded; he thought so too.

If you can carry this thing, it's best to do so.

His current BEC plan is basically based on the path chosen by later generations.

"To achieve Bose-Einstein condensation, there are only three core pieces of equipment."

"Laser cooling system, magneto-optical trap, ultra-high vacuum chamber."

Lin Yu wrote the first line of words on the blackboard.

This is the top priority.

"Laser cooling systems require several laser beams of specific wavelengths to perform Doppler cooling and polarization gradient cooling on atoms."

"The wavelength needs to be determined based on the type of atoms selected."

"My suggestion is rubidium-87."

At this point, the two academicians looked up.

Lin Yu drew the electron configuration diagram of 87.

I wrote down another line of data.

The two academicians exchanged a glance.

I just felt that this was another result calculated by that kid.

Why is this so difficult to work with? To a large extent, it's because people in the past didn't know what elements to use.

Lin Yu continued writing.

"The transition wavelength of rubidium-87 is 780 nanometers, and lasers for it are relatively easy to find."

"And the magneto-optical trap—"

"We need a pair of anti-Helmholtz coils and six laser beams."

"This way, when they activate the magnetic field, they can confine the cooled atoms to a small area and prevent them from scattering."

"In that case, we just need to make the magnetic field gradient large enough and solve the heat dissipation problem of the coil."

As Lin Yu spoke, he drew a diagram, making the layout of the coils and the direction of the laser clear at a glance.

This is a necessary step.

If the atoms are not fixed in place, they will disappear into who-knows-where after the laser cools down.

The so-called Bose-Einstein condensate.

It means that the object needs to be cooled to absolute zero.

The Celsius temperature we commonly use now, or the Fahrenheit temperature we prefer to use.

Its zero degree is merely a human-defined standard.

There is only one 0 degrees in the physical sense, which is absolute zero.

-273.15 degrees Celsius.

At this temperature, objects will exhibit all sorts of incredible phenomena.

It does not reveal a universe that is absolutely static.

Rather, it is another possibility for life.

Such as low-temperature superconductivity, or superfluid helium, which we are familiar with.

All of these are realities achieved at this temperature.

So-called superconductors.

At absolute zero, there is no resistance to the movement of electric current within an object.

The so-called Bose-Einstein condensate.

It is when an object is close to absolute zero that the number of quanta of red light condenses into the same quantum state with the lowest energy.

It becomes a highly ordered whole.

It behaves like a super atom.

In this context, the boundary between macroscopic objects and microscopic quantum mechanics becomes blurred.

We will continue to study it in depth.

Then, the various applications and predictions of quantum mechanics can be manifested in macroscopic objects.

Mastering BEC technology is equivalent to mastering the ability to manipulate atoms.

Precision measurement, atomic clocks, quantum computing, quantum simulation—the foundation of these future technologies is all here.

As Lin Yu spoke, he wrote the final step on the blackboard.

"An ultra-high vacuum chamber is also a necessary component."

"To achieve a Bose-Einstein condensate, the background pressure must be below 10 to the power of -11 Pa."

"Otherwise, the atoms will collide with the background gas and scatter light before they condense."

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"This level of vacuum requires a combination of titanium sublimation pumps and ion pumps."

"The cavity material is best made of stainless steel or titanium alloy."

"The inner wall needs to undergo special treatment to reduce air leakage."

Upon hearing this, Academician Wang couldn't help but interject.

He felt that the vacuum level was a bit outrageous.

He was somewhat skeptical: "Can China achieve this level of vacuum?"

This was Lin Yu's blind spot, while Academician Zhou was taking notes with a rustling sound.

Without looking up, he replied, "The Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has a molecular beam epitaxy system that can achieve a similar vacuum level."

"However, that one is specifically designed for thin film growth, and it's complicated to modify."

"But building a new one doesn't take too long."

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He continued asking without looking up.

"What else do we need?"

Lin Yu nodded and continued writing on the blackboard.

"Atomic reactor".

"Detection element".

Lin Yu wrote down a long, densely packed list of specific details.

Finally, he finished listing all the equipment and turned around.

That's about it.

"Optical components can be imported, but it's best to find a domestic partner to develop them."

"So as not to be choked."

"As for the vacuum chamber, Shenyang Aircraft Corporation or Chengdu Aircraft Corporation could help with its fabrication, right?"

"Their precision machining is flawless, and they are also familiar with the process."

"We can make the magnetic coil ourselves."

After Lin Yu finished speaking, he saw Academician Zhou close his notebook, look up, and nod.

Then a light that Lin Yu recognized shone in his eyes.

That was a fervent pursuit of scientific research.

"I have most of these things on my side."

"We have several lasers readily available; if the wavelength is incorrect, we can adjust them."

"We have an old vacuum chamber; we can modify it and it should be usable, albeit barely."

Academician Zhou rarely smiled.

"These things can't reproduce anyway, so it's perfect to use them for scientific research now."

"Xiaoyu, take a look at this. When do we start working on it?"

Lin Yu thought about it and decided that the sooner the better.

It's unclear how long it will take to produce results.

Most importantly, it must be completed before Cornell gets it next year.

If they do it after them, it will be too late.

"We'll get started as soon as we have all the equipment, the sooner the better."

Academician Zhou nodded, then slapped his thigh.

"good!"

"It's settled then. I'll figure out the equipment. If we need anything, I'll borrow it; if we can't borrow it, we'll buy it; if we can't buy it, we'll make it!"

"Xiaoyu, you're in charge of developing the plan and leading the team!"

Just as Lin Yu was about to speak and agree, Chief Hou spoke up from the side.

"Wait, you've just made up your minds like this? Aren't you going to submit a report to your superiors?"