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How can rubidium-87 atoms form a Bose-Einstein condensate?

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A color-coded periodic table of the elements displays each element's symbol and atomic number, with categories such as alkali metals, noble gases, halogens, transition metals, and actinoid elements distinguished by different background colors. — alkali metal Modern version of the periodic table of the elements (printable).

Rubidium-87 atoms can form a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) because they are bosons, a class of particles that can share the same quantum state.12

To create this state, a dilute gas of rubidium-87 atoms is confined using magnetic fields or "laser mirrors" and cooled to temperatures near absolute zero. The cooling process utilizes advanced techniques such as laser cooling, where the radiation pressure of a laser beam slows the atoms down, effectively localizing them.21

As the temperature approaches absolute zero, the velocity of the atoms becomes so well-defined that their individual wavelengths widen and overlap. In this state, the cluster of atoms coalesces into a single quantum mechanical entity—often described as a "superatom"—that can be characterized by a single wave function and exhibits macroscopic quantum behaviors, such as coherent motion.312