In News:

In a groundbreaking achievement, Italian scientists have successfully created the world’s first ‘supersolid’ made from light, marking a new milestone in quantum physics. This discovery demonstrates that light, traditionally understood as pure energy, can be manipulated into a rare state of matter that combines the order of a solid with the frictionless flow of a superfluid.

What Is a Supersolid?

A supersolid is an exotic quantum phase of matter exhibiting dual characteristics:

• Solid-like structure: Maintains a periodic, lattice-like spatial arrangement.
• Liquid-like behavior: Flows without internal resistance (zero viscosity), like a superfluid.

Previously, supersolidity was observed in Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs)—ultracold atomic systems cooled near absolute zero (–273.15°C), where quantum effects dominate.

How was Supersolid Light created?

Researchers used semiconductor nanostructures (gallium arsenide with micro-ridges) to create polaritons—hybrid quasiparticles formed by coupling photons (light) with excitons (matter).

• When cooled and stimulated with a laser, these polaritons condensed into a coherent quantum fluid arranged in a regular pattern, exhibiting both superfluid and solid-like properties.

Key Features of Supersolid Light:

• Quantum Coherence: Particles move in a synchronized, wave-like manner due to shared quantum states.
• Frictionless Flow: Can move through obstacles without energy loss.
• Crystalline Order: Particles maintain a rigid spatial configuration.
• Symmetry Breaking: Demonstrates both spatial order and dynamic fluidity.

Significance and Applications:

• Quantum Computing: Enhances qubit stability and coherence, essential for error-free quantum operations.
• Photonics and Optical Devices: Enables development of light-based circuits with high efficiency.
• Energy Technologies: Potential applications in superconductors and frictionless systems.
• Fundamental Research: Offers insights into non-equilibrium quantum systems and phase transitions.

Why it matters for Science & Technology?

This marks the first time light has been shown to form a supersolid, expanding the boundaries of material science. It provides a new experimental platform for studying quantum behavior in light-matter systems, bridging the gap between theoretical physics and practical innovation.