- Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Arne Ludwig at the molecular beam epitaxy facility of Ruhr University Bochum, where he generated the electron gas used in the study. © RUB, Marquard
Quantum Physics

A miniature particle accelerator

Particle accelerators are usually massive installations stretching over kilometers. But an international physics team has now reproduced similar effects on a tiny chip.

Researchers from Ruhr University Bochum, Institut polytechnique de Grenoble and the University of Latvia created electron droplets that behave like a nano particle accelerator. The electrons formed a Coulomb fluid — a strongly correlated quantum state where they move collectively.

These insights open up new avenues in the study of quantum materials and the simulation of exotic states of matter.

The results were published in Nature on June 25, 2025.

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Published
June 26th, 2025
Author
Julia Weiler (jwe)