Physicists have achieved a groundbreaking advancement by creating a "superlido," a state where light flows without normal resistance, resembling both solid and liquid properties. This discovery, led by Dimitrios Trypogeorgos of the Italian National Research Council, marks a significant milestone in condensate physics, demonstrating how photons, rather than atoms, can exhibit these unique characteristics.
The researchers utilized special semiconductor layers to control photon interactions, allowing them to form a condensate structured in solid-like grids while still maintaining zero viscosity. This hybrid state is seen as a new area of study, with potential applications in superconductors and quantum computing, particularly due to its near-frictionless flow.
Further analysis is necessary to fully understand this material’s properties, according to physicists like Alberto Bramati from Sorbonne University. The ability to manipulate light simplifies future studies compared to the challenges of cooling atoms to extreme temperatures.
While technical hurdles exist in stabilizing the conditions for this superlido, the research opens new avenues for exploring quantum particles and could lead to the development of advanced photonic systems. This work underscores the novel blending of quantum mechanics that challenges traditional views of matter and light. The study has been published in Nature.
