Over the past half century, laser cooling has revolutionized atomic, molecular and optical physics. Laser cooling of atoms and ions has enabled dramatic leaps in the precision of atomic clocks, allowing new tests of fundamental physics and potential improvements in clock-based navigation via the Global Positioning System. Now it is also laying the foundations for quantum computing with atoms and ions.

In this episode of Physics World Stories, you can enjoy a vibrant tour through the history of laser cooling with Chad Orzel, a popular-science author and researcher at Union College in the US, who is in conversation with Andrew Glester. Orzel describes the key research breakthroughs – which have led to several Nobel prizes – but also the personal stories behind the discoveries, involving physics titans such as Hal Metcalf, Bill Phillips and Steven Chu.

You can learn more about this topic via a trilology of features that Chad Orzel has written for Physics World. The final instalment will be available in January and you can already read the first two articles: