China Space Station Creates Coldest Man-Made Matter, Step Closer to Absolute Zero
Bastillepost · 3 SOURCES1 day ago3 MIN
Summary
Chinese scientists aboard the Tiangong Space Station have shattered the record for the coldest man-made substance, achieving a temperature of 9.7 pico-Kelvin—equivalent to approximately one hundred trillionth of room temperature . This groundbreaking experiment, conducted using the ultra-cold atom physics experiment cabinet aboard the Mengtian experimental module, surpassed the previous record of 38 pico-Kelvin set by German researchers in 2021 . The achievement, published in the journal Science on November 6, 2026, marks China as only the second nation—after the United States—to operate an ultra-cold atom cabinet on a space station . The successful experiment demonstrates how microgravity environments enable atomic cooling far beyond what is possible on Earth, opening new frontiers in quantum physics research .
Key Points
- The research team, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences Space Applications Engineering and Technology Center in collaboration with Peking University and the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, employed all-optical trap cooling technology to achieve the record temperature
- The rubidium atomic cloud was maintained at 9.7 pico-Kelvin for seven seconds, representing a reduction of 14 orders of magnitude from room temperature and approaching within one hundred billionth of a degree of absolute zero
- China's approach differs from the U.S. Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL), which uses magnetic and radio-frequency fields for evaporative cooling; the Chinese team utilizes a three-dimensional all-optical trap for two-stage cooling, achieving lower initial temperatures
- Engineers compressed a laboratory system that typically occupies 20-30 cubic meters and weighs several tons into a compact unit of less than one cubic meter, weighing approximately 300 kilograms with 700-watt power consumption
- The ultra-cold atom cabinet, which launched with the Mengtian module in 2022, is designed for experiments including quantum simulation, testing of fundamental physical laws, and searches for dark matter and Higgs model particles through 2032
Why It Matters
The successful creation of this ultra-cold quantum gas represents a significant milestone in fundamental physics research, as temperatures this close to absolute zero allow atoms to exhibit quantum behaviors that are otherwise obscured by thermal motion, enabling scientists to study quantum mechanics, test basic physical theories, and explore phenomena such as dark matter with unprecedented precision . This achievement positions China alongside the United States as a leader in space-based quantum physics, with potential applications in developing high-precision atomic interferometers, quantum sensors, and space-based atomic clocks that could revolutionize navigation and precision measurement technologies .
The successful creation of this ultra-cold quantum gas represents a significant milestone in fundamental physics research, as temperatures this close to absolute zero allow atoms to exhibit quantum behaviors that are otherwise obscured by thermal motion, enabling scientists to study quantum mechanics, test basic physical theories, and explore phenomena such as dark matter with unprecedented precision . This achievement positions China alongside the United States as a leader in space-based quantum physics, with potential applications in developing high-precision atomic interferometers, quantum sensors, and space-based atomic clocks that could revolutionize navigation and precision measurement technologies .