MIT makes new form of matter which is a crystalline Supersolid and superfluid at the same time
by noreply@blogger.com (brian wang) from NextBigFuture.com on (#2EP78)
MIT physicists have created a new form of matter, a supersolid, which combines the properties of solids with those of superfluids.
By using lasers to manipulate a superfluid gas known as a Bose-Einstein condensate, the team was able to coax the condensate into a quantum phase of matter that has a rigid structure - like a solid - and can flow without viscosity - a key characteristic of a superfluid. Studies into this apparently contradictory phase of matter could yield deeper insights into superfluids and superconductors, which are important for improvements in technologies such as superconducting magnets and sensors, as well as efficient energy transport.
Equipment used to make the new supersolid-superfluid
Nature - A stripe phase with supersolid properties in spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensates
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By using lasers to manipulate a superfluid gas known as a Bose-Einstein condensate, the team was able to coax the condensate into a quantum phase of matter that has a rigid structure - like a solid - and can flow without viscosity - a key characteristic of a superfluid. Studies into this apparently contradictory phase of matter could yield deeper insights into superfluids and superconductors, which are important for improvements in technologies such as superconducting magnets and sensors, as well as efficient energy transport.
Equipment used to make the new supersolid-superfluidNature - A stripe phase with supersolid properties in spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensates
Read more