Researchers achieved, for the first time, the quantum state of objects at room temperature

A team of researchers from the Technical University of Vienna (TU Wien), in collaboration with ETH Zürich, has succeeded for the first time in obtaining quantum states in objects at room temperature, without the need to cool them to extremely low temperatures. The experiment, conducted on glass spheres smaller than a grain of sand, marks an important breakthrough in quantum physics, according to InterestingEngineering.

Until now, most experiments in this field were performed at temperatures close to absolute zero to protect particles from environmental disturbances. In the new study, the researchers used a slightly elliptical nanoparticle held within an electromagnetic field. This particle began to rotate around an equilibrium position, a phenomenon scientists compared to the movement of a compass needle.

“This oscillation depends on energy and how the particle is influenced by the surrounding environment and temperature,” explained Carlos Gonzalez-Ballestero from the Institute of Theoretical Physics at TU Wien, who coordinated the study.

In the quantum world, oscillations have well-defined energy levels called quanta of oscillation. The ground state represents the lowest possible vibration level, while excited states correspond to higher energies.

To achieve the desired quantum state, the researchers employed a system of lasers and mirrors capable of adding or removing energy from the nanoparticle’s motion. By precisely adjusting the mirrors, they managed to reduce the rotational energy nearly to the ground state, ensuring a high probability of energy extraction and a low probability of energy addition.

“The rotational motion energy can be reduced very efficiently without lowering the nanoparticle’s internal thermal energy,” Gonzalez-Ballestero explained. The result is even more surprising considering the particle had an internal temperature of several hundred degrees.

“Amazingly, the rotation can ‘freeze,’ so to speak, even though the particle itself has a very high temperature,” the researcher emphasized.

This technique is based on treating the particle’s different degrees of freedom separately, allowing the quantum state of rotational motion to be achieved independently of the object’s overall temperature.

This achievement opens new avenues for studying quantum phenomena on scales larger than atomic and molecular ones, removing one of the main limitations of traditional experiments—the reliance on costly equipment for extreme cooling.

“This breakthrough enables the study of particles in ‘purer’ quantum states without the need for ultra-low temperatures,” Gonzalez-Ballestero concluded.

The results were published in the journal Nature Physics, representing a significant step toward expanding the applicability of quantum physics under more accessible conditions for research and technological innovation.