Supersolidity Achieved in a Photonic Crystal: A Breakthrough

An international team has for the first time observed a supersolid phase in a photonic crystal polariton condensate, published in Nature. This groundbreaking research introduces a new platform for exploring supersolidity beyond traditional ultracold atomic systems. Supersolids uniquely combine the rigidity of a crystal with the frictionless flow of a superfluid. The researchers achieved this by condensing polaritons within a photonic crystal waveguide, enabling precise measurement of density modulations and probing the local coherence of the supersolid wavefunction. This work not only demonstrates a supersolid phase in a photonic platform but also paves the way for exploring quantum phases of matter in non-equilibrium systems, with potential applications in neuromorphic computing and advanced photonics.