Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC)
A state of matter formed by bosons cooled close to absolute zero, where a macroscopic fraction of particles collapse into the lowest quantum state.
Governing formula
T_c = (2 π ℏ² / (m k_B)) (n / ζ(3/2))^(2/3)
SI unit
nK (Nanokelvin Temperatures)
In depth
At ultra-cold temperatures below critical temperature T_c, de Broglie wavelengths of individual bosons overlap, causing them to lose individual identity and behave as a single macroscopic quantum wave function.
Examples in the real world
Ultra-cold Rubidium-87 gas clouds cooled to < 100 nK exhibiting macroscopic quantum interference patterns and superfluidity.