The scientists of Northwestern University have found way to prevent a molecule from tumbling, so that its potential for new applications can be tackled.

A team from Northwestern University successfully used the laser cooling technique to stop a trapped, rotating molecule dead in its tracks.

"We modify the spectrum of a broadband laser such that nearly all the rotational energy is removed from the illuminated molecules", said Dr. Brian Odom, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy in Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.

Odom said that it is not very complex to trap various kinds of molecules and hold them exactly in place, but they continue to rotate just as much as if they were not trapped at all.

In the study, Odom and his colleagues used a customized laser to cool singly charged aluminum monohydride molecules from room temperature to minus 452 °F in a fraction of a second. The abrupt temperature drop instantly stopped molecules' tumbling motion in its tracks. Researchers used the aluminum monohydride molecules as they do not vibrate when they interact with a laser.

According to researchers, the new technique is improved, efficient and faster than conventional molecule control methods. Such control of molecules of their rotational and vibrational states is necessary to using them in the construction of superfast quantum computers.

Earlier, it was considered that too many lasers would be required to cool molecular rotations. But broadband laser light have various different frequency components and these were used by the Northwestern researchers to custom design a laser to perform their task. Odom said that by selecting the correct molecules they were able to stop the molecules from rotating without worrying about the vibrations. Aluminum monohydride molecules are available at reasonable prices and could be used for large range of applications.