Physicists propose tabletop “neutrino laser” to probe ghost particles

MIT physicists have proposed a novel concept for a neutrino laser—a quantum device that could emit coherent, intense beams of neutrinos by synchronizing the radioactive decay of atoms cooled to near absolute zero. The idea involves cooling a gas of radioactive rubidium-83 atoms into a Bose-Einstein condensate, a quantum state where atoms act collectively. This synchronization could accelerate neutrino emission from a process that normally takes months to just minutes, producing a rapid, coherent neutrino beam analogous to the photon emission in conventional lasers. This approach leverages the principle of superradiance, where atoms emit light in unison to amplify the output, applied here to neutrino emission. If realized, the neutrino laser could have significant implications beyond fundamental physics. Because neutrinos interact very weakly with matter, such a beam could enable communication through Earth or deep space without interference, potentially benefiting underground or extraterrestrial communication systems. Additionally, the radioactive decay involved also produces isotopes useful in medical imaging and cancer diagnostics