doi.org/10.1126/science.ady6472
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Scientists have managed to stabilize a phase of matter that was only theoretical for decades, opening new possibilities for materials science and quantum technologies
Researchers at Brown University and the University of Michigan in the United States used specially designed silver nanoparticles to create structures that “lock” an unstable intermediate state between two common crystalline arrangements in metals.
Metals generally arrange their atoms in two main ways: a face-centered cubic (FCC) structure, which is the tightest possible packing, or a body-centered cubic (BCC) structure.
When some metals are heated, they can change from one to the other.
Scientists have long imagined that this transformation went through temporary intermediate phases, but these steps were so unstable that they had never been truly observed or controlled in a real material.
One of the best-known theories, called the Nishiyama-Wassermann pathway, predicted exactly these transient structures.
Now, the team led by Ou Chen from Brown University has managed to reproduce these phases using nanoscale building blocks.
They synthesized silver nanoparticles shaped like truncated octahedrons – a kind of diamond with the ends cut off, resulting in a 14-faced particle that falls between a sphere and a cube.
By adjusting the temperature during fabrication, the researchers created particles with varying shapes, some more rounded and others more angular.
Then, they coated these particles with long molecular chains that act like “sticky hairs,” helping them connect and organize themselves into ordered superstructures.
These flexible bonds allowed the nanoparticles to fit into the same intermediate patterns predicted by theory.
Detailed computer simulations, done in collaboration with Sharon Glotzer’s team at the University of Michigan, confirmed what the experiments showed.
As Tim Moore, co-author of the study, explained, the particles behave as if they have “hairs” that allow them freedom to move, but at the same time fit together perfectly.
The result was even more surprising than expected.
When illuminated with light, these new nanoparticle superstructures exhibit a strong coupling between light and matter.
Electrons within the silver particles oscillate in sync with the light waves, creating quantum entanglement effects.
Most impressively, this occurs at room temperature, while similar phenomena are typically only seen at very low temperatures.
This property could be valuable for the development of quantum computers, sensors, and other quantum information technologies.
Chen compares the work to children playing with LEGO blocks: scientists create unique nanoscale blocks and stack them in interesting ways.
By controlling the shape of the nanoparticles, they were able to stabilize structures that previously existed only on paper.
This not only helps to better understand how materials change their internal organization but also demonstrates a powerful new strategy for designing tailor-made materials with desired properties.
The study, published in the journal “Science,” represents a fundamental advance in materials science.
It shows that it is possible to observe and control transitions that were previously elusive, giving researchers greater control over nanomaterials engineering.
In the future, this approach could lead to the creation of entirely new materials with applications in electronics, quantum computing, and much more.
In short, what was once a hidden and unstable phase of matter has now been captured and can be studied, opening doors to discoveries that go beyond what we imagined.
Published in 06/14/2026 05h54
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption. Information about DOI, author and institution can be found in the body of the article.
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