Solid AND Liquid
at the Same Time
The astonishing material that shatters our everyday understanding of physics — and exists at the coldest temperatures in the universe.
▼ scroll to explore ▼What Is a Supersolid?
Imagine holding something that feels completely solid and rigid like a crystal, but at the same time, it can flow through tiny holes like a liquid with no friction at all. Sounds impossible? That’s exactly what a supersolid is — a paradoxical state of matter that breaks our everyday understanding of physics.
A supersolid is a special quantum state where particles form a rigid, crystal-like structure, but also flow with zero viscosity. It’s simultaneously solid and liquid — not one or the other.
The Two Weird Properties Combined
Normal Solid
- Particles locked in a fixed, ordered crystal pattern
- Particles cannot flow — stuck in place
- Resists being pushed through anything (friction)
Superfluid / Liquid
- Particles flow freely
- A superfluid flows with ZERO friction
- No fixed structure — messy and random
✦ Supersolid ✦
- Particles form a rigid, ordered crystal pattern
- Particles ALSO flow frictionlessly
- Solid AND liquid at the same time
How Does This Even Work?
This only happens at temperatures incredibly close to absolute zero (about −273°C / −459°F) — the coldest temperature possible. At these extremes, quantum mechanics takes over completely:
Atoms in a special gas called a Bose-Einstein condensate start acting like one giant “super-atom.” Some atoms get “kicked out” of their fixed positions by tiny quantum energies (called zero-point energy). These empty spots — called vacancies — move like waves through the crystal. The flow of these vacancies is equivalent to atoms flowing backward without any friction, while the crystal structure stays intact.
Think of a crowded dance floor where everyone stands in neat rows (like a solid). But suddenly, some people disappear and reappear in different spots, creating a wave that ripples through the crowd. The rows stay neat, but there’s movement happening too — that’s similar to what happens in a supersolid.
When Did Scientists Find This?
Why Should We Care?
Supersolids aren’t just weird science — they could lead to real breakthroughs across multiple fields:
Better Cooling
Incredibly efficient cooling devices that don’t need helium, which is becoming scarce.
Cosmic Mysteries
Helps understand neutron stars and the sudden “glitches” in their rotation.
Quantum Computing
Understanding exotic states advances quantum technologies and algorithms.
New Science Tools
Supersolid synchronisation gives scientists a powerful new way to study quantum systems.
Fun Facts
- 01 The word “supersolid” is literally “superfluid” + “solid” mashed together.
- 02 It’s only been observed in laboratories — not found naturally anywhere on Earth.
- 03 The material is usually dysprosium or other lanthanide atoms, cooled to billionths of a degree above absolute zero.
- 04 In 2021, scientists created a supersolid that could vibrate; it had a speed of sound of just 16 cm/s.
- 05 A similar theoretical concept called “superglass” would be frozen but still flow frictionlessly.
The Bottom Line
A supersolid is one of the most mind-bending states of matter ever discovered. It proves that at the quantum level, nature doesn’t follow the rules we see in everyday life. Something can be rigid like a crystal AND flow like a frictionless liquid — at the same time.
While we won’t have supersolid wallets or building materials (it only exists at extreme cold, for now), studying supersolids deepens our understanding of fundamental physics — and could unlock amazing technologies in cooling, quantum computing, and even our understanding of the cosmos.
In the quantum world, paradoxes aren’t bugs in the universe’s code.
They’re features — and they’re absolutely real.
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