Photos showing the apparatus in which we achieved the lowest temperature ever.

high resolution, jpg, 290 kB
The researchers in front of the experimental setup where they realized record-low temperatures. Top row: Andre Schirotzek, Michele Saba, David Pritchard and Wolfgang Ketterle. Lower row: Aaron Leanhardt, Tom Pasquini and Yong-Il Shin. Dave Kielpinski is missing.

high resolution, jpg, 320 kB
Tom Pasquini (left) and Aaron Leanhardt (right) in front of the machine where they and collaborators cooled a sodium gas to 500 picokelvin.

high resolution, jpg, 40 kB
A view into the vacuum chamber where sodium atoms were cooled down to 500 picokelvin. The atoms where magnetically confined by the coil in the center which is 1 cm in diameter. The atoms were “levitated” 0.5 cm above the coil.