The Real Science Behind the Movie Spectral: Exploring the Fascinating World of Bose-Einstein Condensates

The 2016 science-fiction movie "Spectral" is based on a fascinating concept from physics called Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). The plot of the movie revolves around a team of scientists and special forces operatives who discover that the supernatural beings they are fighting are actually made of a state of matter called BEC.

 

BEC is a peculiar state of matter that can occur at extremely low temperatures when a group of bosonic particles (e.g. atoms) lose their individuality and start behaving as a single entity. In other words, all the particles in the BEC become entangled, and their wavefunctions overlap, creating a coherent matter wave. As a result, the BEC displays unique quantum mechanical properties, such as zero viscosity and the ability to interfere with itself.

 

Movie : Spectral

 

In the movie "Spectral," the beings are composed of BEC and are invisible to the naked eye. However, when the scientists in the movie shine a laser on the BEC, they can see the interference patterns in the light scattered by the condensate. This is because, like other quantum mechanical systems, BECs can display wave-particle duality, where they behave both as particles and waves simultaneously.

 

While the idea of beings made of BEC is purely fictional, the concept of BEC has been observed and studied in the laboratory for decades. In fact, scientists have used BEC to study a wide range of phenomena, from superfluidity to quantum computing.

 

One of the most intriguing applications of BEC is in creating atom lasers. An atom laser is a beam of coherent atoms that can be used in the same way as a traditional laser. In other words, the atom laser can be focused, diffracted, and even split into two beams. Atom lasers have many potential applications, including precision measurement and quantum information processing.

 

BEC also has interesting applications in cosmology. As we know, the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate. One explanation for this phenomenon is the existence of a mysterious entity called dark energy, which is believed to make up around 68% of the total energy in the universe. However, some physicists have suggested that the accelerated expansion could be explained by the presence of a BEC-like field that permeates the universe. If this field exists, it could be responsible for the observed cosmological acceleration, and may even be related to the mysterious dark energy.

 

In summary, the concept of BEC is a fascinating area of physics that has many real-life applications, from atom lasers to cosmology. While the idea of beings made of BEC in the movie "Spectral" is purely fictional, it does highlight the potential of this unusual state of matter. By studying and manipulating BECs in the laboratory, scientists are uncovering new physics and pushing the boundaries of our understanding of the quantum world.