Warsaw-led team observes a room-temperature supersolid made from light and matter
Researchers from the University of Warsaw, Poland’s Military University of Technology, IBM Research Zurich and CNRS observed a supersolid in a condensate of exciton-polaritons—hybrid particles of light and matter—at room temperature. The state combines superfluid behaviour with a crystal-like pattern, which the team detected as bright, evenly spaced stripes; the results were published in Science Advances.
Bottom line — The experiment brings supersolid research out of the cryogenic lab, using a liquid-crystal microcavity that can also be controlled electrically.
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Phys.org reports that the team made the microcavity from a liquid crystal and an organic semiconductor; its developers say it can operate at temperatures approaching 60°C.
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According to the IBM Research paper, light and matter coupled in the cavity to form a condensate in two energy minima, producing the striped density pattern.
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The stripes shifted position from one laser pulse to the next, the University of Warsaw team says—a sign that the system chose among equivalent configurations rather than settling in one fixed pattern.
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The researchers also observed a periodic change in the emitted light’s polarisation, alongside the stripes in its intensity, according to the University of Warsaw.
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Phys.org reports that the semiconductor gradually reacted with the liquid crystal, leaving researchers only a few hours to complete measurements on each sample.
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The team describes the electrically tunable microcavity as a platform for studying supersolid condensates; possible applications in optical sensors and photonic devices remain prospective.