Professor Chu, a Nobel Laureate in physics, will review how atoms can be cooled with lasers to temperatures of 200 billionths of a degree above absolute zero. Once chilled to these temperatures, atoms can be held and manipulated with light. Some of the applications of this new technology include the construction of ultra-precise atomic clocks, atom interferometers, and the achievement of Bose Condensation. Finally, he will show how this work has led us to study the behavior of individual bio-molecules and bio-molecular systems in real time.

The lecture is part of the annual Maurer Lecture Series. It is free and open to the public. The purpose of the lecture is to bring distinguished scienetists and educators to the campus and to the general public to increase awareness of recent scientific advances. The public lecture will be followed by a colloquium on Friday, March 29, 4:00-5:00 pm in Physics 133. The colloquium topic will be "Biology at the single molecule level".

Maurer lectures have been organized every year since 1995. Past lectures have included N. Bloembergen, William Phillips (both Nobel Laureates), Richard Zare, Lawrence Krauss (author, astrophysicist), and Phillip Morrison, among others. These lectures were co-sponsored by ASGC.

For more information contact Surendra Singh, Professor & Chair or Ruby Lord, Administrative Secretary at 575-2506