Laser beam turned into superfluid solid for the first time

Scientists have conducted an interesting experiment to obtain a new phase of matter — a superfluid solid. But the most valuable thing in this study is that the substance was obtained by converting a laser beam into it. Previously, scientists converted more material substances, such as gases, into a superfluid solid state. This is the first time such an experiment has been conducted with light, which may provide new clues in the search for answers about the entities of the quantum world.

Image source: AI generation Grok 3/3DNews

The state of a superfluid solid is a combination of solid properties with the characteristics of a superfluid liquid. Usually, such states were observed in supercooled helium. The gas molecules were arranged in a crystalline lattice, which allows us to classify supersolid states as crystalline. In general, such materials are characterized by the absence of viscosity, which was also confirmed in the experiment.

To create a superfluid solid, the researchers aimed a laser at a plate of gallium arsenide that had grooves on it. When the light hit the grooves, the interaction between the light and the material led to the formation of polaritons, special hybrid particles that were held in the grooves in a predetermined manner. This caused the polaritons to align themselves into a crystalline structure and thus exhibit the properties of a superfluid solid, as the scientists reported in the latest issue of the journal Nature.

Image source: Nature 2025

The research team plans to continue working with the new phase of matter created from light to study its structure in more detail. The scientists note that the new state of matter formed from light may be easier to study than materials made of atoms. This, in turn, will help to better understand the nature of matter in general.