ATOM CHIPS. Last year scientists at the University of Innsbruck in Austria succeeded in guiding neutral atoms along the outside of current-carrying wires (Update 416); the atoms were trapped and manipulated by magnetic fields generated by the current in the wire. Now the same scientists have, through a deft series of steps involving extra current-carrying coils and laser beams, been able to herd cold lithium atoms to within a few microns of a patterned microchip, where the atoms come under the control and guidance of currents in the chip.

The goal of the Innsbruck physicists (Joerg Schmiedmayer, joerg.schmiedmayer@uibk.ac.at, 011-43-512-507-6306) is to develop an integrated circuit for atoms and eventually (when the source of the atoms is not a mere atom beam but a true Bose-Einstein condensate) for atom waves. Such a device might be of service for doing quantum optics or computation involving quantum entanglement. (Foman et al., Physical Review Letters, 15 May /pnu/2000/; Select Article.)