Only then it is possible to trap the marble which, of course, will be moving around in the bowl. The atom trapped by single light quanta doesn't sit still either. In contrast, the periodic energy exchange between the atom and the light field induces a periodic motion. In the experiment, the scientist could continuously observe this motion in real time. The system is an ideal tool to explore fundamental problems concerning the interaction between light and matter.
Possible applications are in the field of information processing with individual quanta.
In the new system, the light-matter interaction is so strong, that it should be possible to realise a photon pistol. Here, individual light quanta would be emitted on demand in a well-defined direction. Such a light source would be new and particularly useful for the transmission of single quantum bits in a future network of quantum computers.