A group of Chinese scientists have created, for the first time in the world, a dense, ultracold gas of triple-atomic molecules, making an experimental milestone that offers multiple research opportunities for quantum chemistry.

The researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China led by Pan Jianwei, known as China's "father of quantum," managed to create the ultra-cold gas, which is extremely close to absolute zero.

The results see future applications in quantum information processing and quantum precision measurement, according to the researchers.

The study published on December 1 in the journal Science reported the creation of an ultracold gas from a mixture of ground-state sodium-potassium molecules and potassium atoms.

Chemistry is a process that can be defined, in essence, by quantum mechanics, but the very quantum effects are technically hard to observe since the temperature is relatively high in chemical reactions.

Therefore, scientists have been trying to slow down and cool down those particles to see clearly the rules behind our universe at a micro-level.

After the successful creation of ultracold two-atomic molecular gases, the next experimental challenge is to prepare and control ultracold gases of triple-atomic molecules with more degrees of freedom, according to the researchers.

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(With input from Xinhua)