The potential to generate a coherent, beam-like stream of neutrinos, analogous to a laser, has been proposed by a research partnership involving physicists from MIT and the University of Texas at Arlington. Their theoretical framework suggests that by intensely cooling radioactive atoms, specifically a scenario involving one million atoms of rubidium-83, such a neutrino emission device could be achieved. Typically, rubidium-83 possesses a half-life of approximately 82 days, signifying that this duration is required for half of the atomic nuclei to undergo decay and release a corresponding quantity of neutrinos. However, by manipulating these rubidium-83 atoms into a quantum-coherent state through extreme cold, the researchers project that radioactive decay could be drastically accelerated, completing within mere minutes.
B.J.P. Jones & J.A. Formaggio devise an idea for a laser that shoots a beam of neutrinos. Image credit: Gemini AI.
“Within our conceptual framework for a neutrino laser, the emission of neutrinos would occur at a significantly higher frequency than their natural rate, mirroring how a conventional laser rapidly emits photons,” stated Dr. Ben Jones, an investigator affiliated with the University of Texas at Arlington.
“This represents an inventive method for accelerating radioactive decay and enhancing neutrino production, a feat that, to my knowledge, has not been previously accomplished,” commented MIT Professor Joseph Formaggio.
Some years prior, Professor Formaggio and Dr. Jones independently contemplated an unusual possibility: could the inherent process of neutrino generation be amplified through the phenomenon of quantum coherence?
Initial investigations brought to light substantial impediments to the realization of this concept.
Several years later, during discussions concerning the characteristics of ultracold tritium, they posed the question: could neutrino production be augmented if radioactive isotopes, such as tritium, could be cooled to such an extent that they enter a quantum state known as a Bose-Einstein condensate?
Furthermore, they pondered whether the formation of a Bose-Einstein condensate from radioactive atoms would lead to an escalation in neutrino output. Their initial attempts to perform the necessary quantum mechanical calculations suggested that such an enhancement was improbable.
“It ultimately proved to be a misdirection; we discovered that simply achieving a Bose-Einstein condensate state does not accelerate the processes of radioactive decay and neutrino generation,” Professor Formaggio explained.
A few years onward, Dr. Jones re-examined the proposition, incorporating an additional crucial element: superradiance. This is a phenomenon observed in quantum optics where a collection of light-emitting atoms is induced to coordinate their emissions.
In this synchronized state, it is theorized that the atoms would release a burst of photons with amplified radiance, exceeding that of atoms emitting independently and out of phase.
The physicists hypothesized that a comparable superradiant effect might manifest within a radioactive Bose-Einstein condensate, potentially resulting in a similar concentrated emission of neutrinos.
They then proceeded to mathematically model the quantum mechanical principles governing the transition of light-emitting atoms from a coherent initial state to a superradiant state.
These same mathematical principles were subsequently applied to predict the behavior of radioactive atoms within a coherent Bose-Einstein condensate configuration.
“The observed outcome is a dramatically increased photon emission rate and intensity. When these same principles are applied to a source of neutrinos, the result is a significantly amplified and accelerated release of these particles,” Professor Formaggio elucidated.
“This was the pivotal moment when the concept solidified: superradiance within a radioactive condensate could indeed facilitate this accelerated, laser-like emission of neutrinos.”
To theoretically validate their concept, the investigators conducted calculations on the anticipated neutrino production from a concentrated assembly of one million super-cooled rubidium-83 atoms.
Their findings indicated that within the quantum-coherent Bose-Einstein condensate state, the atoms would undergo radioactive decay at an accelerated pace, generating a tightly focused, laser-like beam of neutrinos within minutes.
Having now established the theoretical feasibility of a neutrino laser, the next step involves an experimental verification using a compact laboratory setup.
“The process should be sufficient to take this radioactive material, convert it to a gaseous state, confine it using lasers, cool it to the required temperature, and subsequently induce Bose-Einstein condensation,” Dr. Jones explained.
“Following this, the superradiance phenomenon should initiate spontaneously.”
The research pair acknowledges that conducting such an experiment will necessitate stringent safety measures and meticulous procedural control.
“Should we succeed in demonstrating this effect experimentally, it opens avenues for considering its utility as a neutrino detection instrument or perhaps as a novel communication modality. That is where the true excitement begins,” Professor Formaggio remarked.
The research findings by the team have been published in the esteemed journal Physical Review Letters.
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B.J.P. Jones & J.A. Formaggio. 2025. Superradiant Neutrino Lasers from Radioactive Condensates. Phys. Rev. Lett 135, 111801; doi: 10.1103/l3c1-yg2l
