{
  "id": 133915,
  "title": "Scientists Reveal Hidden Structure of a Quantum Fluid",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/scientists-reveal-hidden-structure-of-a-quantum-fluid",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-04T15:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Berkeley Lab",
    "slug": "berkeley-lab",
    "url": "https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2026/08/04/scientists-reveal-hidden-structure-of-a-quantum-fluid/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a groundbreaking study published in Nature, scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and other institutions have revealed a hidden structure within a quantum fluid formed by excitons at high temperatures. Bose-Einstein Condensates (BECs), often dubbed as a \"fifth state of matter,\" were previously achieved at sub-zero temperatures using supercooled gases. However, this new research demonstrates the formation of a tunable BEC of excitons – electron-hole pairs – in an atomically thin semiconductor at a relatively warmer temperature near absolute zero.\n\nThe team, led by Feng Wang, a faculty senior scientist at Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division, discovered that these excitons can form a BEC even in a solid-state device, a feat previously unattainable in controllable semiconductor systems. The excitons were engineered to occupy the ground state rather than the short-lived excited state, enabling them to reach equilibrium and persist as a BEC.\n\nThrough magneto-optical spectroscopy, researchers observed the exciton condensate's behavior under the influence of a magnetic field. Surprisingly, the condensate displayed two distinct components with different spin-valley structures, leading to multiple distinct quantum phases. These phases can be switched on and off by applying a magnetic field, providing researchers with a new platform to study quantum fluids in solid materials, as well as potential applications in quantum simulations, coherent optoelectronics, and exciton-based devices for faster, more efficient computing.\n\nThis discovery has significant implications for future research in quantum technology, potentially leading to advancements in superconducting-based quantum devices and circuits. The findings could pave the way for breakthroughs in telecommunications, computing, and other emerging technologies that rely on quantum phenomena.",
  "summary": "The post Scientists Reveal Hidden Structure of a Quantum Fluid appeared first on Berkeley Lab News Center .",
  "key_points": [
    "Scientists reveal hidden structure of quantum fluid in excitons at high temperatures.",
    "Bose-Einstein Condensates achieved in atomically thin semiconductor near absolute zero.",
    "Exciton BEC displays two distinct quantum phases controllable by magnetic field."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}