Confined Electrons Live Longer Aug 28, 2009
For many applications it is highly desirable that electrons, excited to a higher energy state, take a long time until they relax back to the ground state. This is a key ingredient for any kind of laser, but also would be desirable for modern applications in quantum information processing (where also the phase coherence should be conserved). (Science Daily)
How Fireworks Produce Sounds and Co... Jul 4, 2009
After a short time the electrons jump back down to the lowest energy level, which scientists call the ground state ... The color of the light depends on the exact amount of energy released when the electron jumps to the ground state. (Suite101.com)
Optical Computer Closer: Optical Transistor Made From Single Molecule Jul 4, 2009
For this, they have made use of the fact that a molecule s energy is quantized: when laser light strikes a molecule that is in its ground state, the light is absorbed. As a result, the laser beam is quenched. (Science Daily)
Chemists Discover Rare Rydberg Molecule With 'New' Type Of Bonding May 13, 2009
Shaffer says a weak bond forms when an electron far from the nucleus and another ground state (normal) atom interact. The electron is slightly attracted to the ground state atom and vice versa ... The electron pulls the ground state atom back toward the Rydberg atom just enough so it does not escape. (Science Daily)
New Clues To How Stem Cells Form Apr 18, 2009
The process by which these two differentiated cells return to a developmental ground state in the zygote the ultimate stem cell is little understood. An amazing phenotype. (Science Daily)
Unexpected Behavior Of Quantum Dots When Combining To Form Molecules Apr 5, 2009
The experiments, conducted by the staff of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, have proved that quantum dots that use holes (electrons with a positive charge and a larger mass) instead of electrons (which have a negative charge) achieve an antibonding molecular ground state, in contrast to natural atoms, which need an extra supply of energy to achieve this state ... Doty et al. Antibonding Ground States in InAs Quantum-Dot Molecules. (Science Daily)
