Yes! This effect is used for laser cooling. The momentum from a photon can be imparted to an atom; if done in the right way a cloud of atoms can be cooled to a few billionths of a degree above absolute zero. One cool application of this technology is optical clocks, which form the most precise clocks in existence.
GooseMuckle t1_j8qn81o wrote
Reply to Does refracting light impart momentum onto the object that is refracting it, for the duration of the refraction? by TheFeshy
Yes! This effect is used for laser cooling. The momentum from a photon can be imparted to an atom; if done in the right way a cloud of atoms can be cooled to a few billionths of a degree above absolute zero. One cool application of this technology is optical clocks, which form the most precise clocks in existence.