Scientists have recently made a groundbreaking discovery by observing the unique properties of a substance known as “super-solid” for the first time. This substance displays characteristics of both a solid and a fluid simultaneously, providing direct evidence of its dual nature in the quantum state.
Under normal conditions, substances exist in one of four states: solid, liquid, gaseous, or plasma. However, when subjected to extremely low temperatures approaching absolute zero (-273.15 ° C), substances can exhibit unusual behavior, leading to the creation of “exotic” conditions. One such state is the superfluid, which has zero viscosity and therefore offers no resistance to flow. When mixed, a superfluid will continue to move endlessly without slowing down.
Over fifty years ago, scientists theorized the existence of a “super-solid” substance that combines both solid and superfluid properties. This substance forms a crystalline structure, with some of its atoms moving freely through the lattice without encountering friction.
In a recent study published in the journal Nature, physicist Francho Ferlaino from the University of Innsbruck, Austria, led a team that successfully created and mixed super-solid substances to observe tiny vortices known as quantized vortices, providing crucial evidence of superfluidity.
During the experiment, scientists observed the formation of tiny vortices in the super-solid, akin to stirring a cup of coffee with a spoon. When mixed slowly, the substance remained stationary, but with increased mixing speed, symmetrical vortices resembling holes in Gruyère cheese began to form.
Earlier in 2021, researchers at the University of Innsbruck had managed to create a two-dimensional super-solid by cooling special atoms to extremely low temperatures. They have since discovered a way to rotate the super-solid without disrupting its fragile structure using magnetic fields, enabling precise observation of quantized vortices and confirming the substance’s dual nature.
This breakthrough opens up the possibility of simulating processes in the laboratory that are typically only observed in extreme phenomena, such as supernova explosions. Scientists believe that changes in the rotation speed of neutron stars, referred to as “glitches,” could be linked to similar superfluid vortices formed within their cores.