# Bose-Einstein condensate effect

Does every boson gas go through the condensate effect? Could there be a boson gas with high energy (photons for example) that would have enough energy to be at different quantum states even at 0 K?

• So, are you asking if it is possible for a system of bosons to avoid Bose-Einstein condensation up to absolute $0$? – valerio Jul 28 '16 at 22:01
• yes, could you have a boson gas that avoids the condensation even if its cooled to 0K? – mark Jul 29 '16 at 0:13
• like a free particle (with 0 spin) with a lot of kinetic energy that even at 0K has enough energy to be at different quantum states? – mark Jul 29 '16 at 0:18
• The condensation only happens for massive bosons. A massless field always moves at the speed of light. Having said that... it might well be that the electromagnetic field does have a tiny rest mass. – CuriousOne Jul 29 '16 at 6:50
• The BEC phase is not stable for attractively interacting particles. About photons, BEC of photons had been achieved but for this, people had to generate "effective interactions" between the photons by use of a non-linear medium (dye medium). – dolun Jul 29 '16 at 13:32