Abstract

I will report on the realization of a purely dipolar quantum gas, where the long-range and anisotropic interaction between magnetic chromium atoms is determining the physical properties. We will discuss the stability diagram of a dipolar gas and the dipolar collapse dynamics. In the outlook I will show how spin orbit coupling in dipolar gases can give rise to a quantum version of the Einstein de Haas effect. The same coupling can also be used for demagnetization cooling, an idea that dates back to the first laser cooling proposal by Alfred Kastler in 1950.