Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Credit: IQOQI Innsbruck/Harald Ritsch
For the first time ever, scientists have turned light into a supersolid — a bizarre state of matter that acts both like a solid and a liquid (Science, March 5).
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Supersolids are quantum wonders that form orderly crystals yet flow without friction, defying everything we know about normal matter.
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Creating a supersolid requires temperatures near absolute zero, where particles stop jiggling and strange quantum behaviors take over.
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Supersolids flow without resistance, just like superfluids. Imagine a material that moves endlessly without slowing down—pure quantum flow.
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Scientists achieved this feat using polaritons — particles made by coupling light and matter, combining the best of both worlds to create a solid-light hybrid.
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Supersolids let researchers study pure quantum effects without heat interference, offering a window into the building blocks of the universe.
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Though supersolids of atoms have been made before, this is the first time light itself has been used — pushing the boundaries of condensed matter physics.
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Supersolids could unlock quantum computing, superconductors, and frictionless tech—revolutionizing how we build future technologies.
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Turning light into a solid is a giant leap into unknown realms of physics—offering new paths to understand matter, energy, and the quantum world.
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