Guillaume Malpuech

Stories

Room-temperature supersolid made from light and matter

Professor

On November 9, 2026, an international team reported a supersolid made from exciton polaritons, hybrid particles that combine light and matter. The state appeared at temperatures approaching 60°C, roughly 140°F, inside a liquid-crystal microcavity. That removes the ultracold cooling normally required for supersolid experiments.

Updated 2 days ago

Room-temperature supersolid observed in a light-matter condensate

New Capabilities

Professor, Institut Pascal, CNRS

Supersolids flow without friction yet hold a crystal-like pattern. Since they were first made in 2017, they have existed only near absolute zero. A consortium led by the University of Warsaw has now produced one in a light-matter condensate at room temperature.

Updated 6 days ago

Notable Quotes

"This is a textbook example of spontaneous symmetry breaking. Theory predicted that the supersolid could choose among several equivalent states, and that is exactly what we observed."

from Room-temperature supersolid made from light and matter · Updated 2 days ago

"This is a textbook example of spontaneous symmetry breaking. Theory predicted that the supersolid could choose among several equivalent states, and that is exactly what we observed."

from Room-temperature supersolid observed in a light-matter condensate · Updated 6 days ago