Physics & Quantum · Recorded milestone
Laser cooling of atoms
Recorded year1978
Laser light slows trapped ions, then neutral atoms, to near absolute zero: the start of cold-atom clocks, sensors and qubits.
Explore this milestone on the interactive mapBuilt on
- Quantum mechanicsRecorded · 1925enables
- Integrated circuitRecorded · 1958requires
- LaserRecorded · 1960enables
Led to
- Bose-Einstein condensateRecorded · 1995enables
- First quantum logic gateRecorded · 1995enables
- Optical lattice clockRecorded · 2005enables
- Networked quantum sensorsRecorded · 2016enables
- Clocks that map gravityRecorded · 2020enables
- Gravity of everyday objects measuredRecorded · 2022enables
- Quantum underground mappingRecorded · 2022enables
- Quantum navigation sensorsRecorded · 2025enables
- Error-corrected quantum computerForecast · ~2030enables
- Second redefined by optical clocksForecast · ~2030enables
- Laser-cooled solid fridgesForecast · ~2077enables
Sources & evidence
Dataset updated 2026-10-18. This individual record has not been separately re-reviewed.