Chinese researchers discover 'supersolid' with extreme cooling potentials

Chinese scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery that could revolutionize cooling technology: the first confirmed evidence of supersolidity in a real-world solid material.

This exotic state of matter combines the rigidity of a solid with the frictionless flow of a superfluid, offering potential for incredibly efficient cooling devices without relying on the increasingly scarce element helium.

Across the globe, scientists and industries face a helium shortage. This inert gas is crucial for achieving extremely low temperatures needed for advanced research and technologies like superconducting magnets and MRI machines. But with limited reserves and rising extraction costs, finding alternatives is crucial.

This is where the newly discovered supersolid material comes in. It's made of cobalt and can be cooled to near absolute zero (almost minus 273 degrees Celsius), the coldest possible temperature, without needing helium.

"We put this material into magnetic fields and then tried to remove the fields while keeping the heat from leaking," explained Prof. Su Gang at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, who is one of the lead scientists of the research. "As we slowly reduce the magnetic fields, the temperature of the material also lowered slowly, eventually reaching 94 milikelvins." One kelvin equals a thousand milikelvins.

The concept of supersolidity has been tantalizing physicists since the 1970s, but proving its existence in real materials remained elusive. This new study published in scientific journal Nature provides compelling evidence for a "quantum spin analogue" of this strange state in the cobaltate material.

While still in its early stages, this discovery opens up exciting possibilities. The researchers aim to achieve even lower temperatures, paving the way for refrigerators that don't need helium. Such devices could create ideal environments for futuristic quantum computers and boost various scientific investigations.