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RPI MSE researchers create new state of matter at room temperature using light and nanostructures

Posted March 18, 2026

A team led by Prof. Wei Bao of RPI MSE have created a new and unusual state of matter, known as a supersolid, by engineering how light and matter interact inside a nanoscale device. The work, published in Nature Nanotechnology, demonstrates that this exotic quantum phase can exist at room temperature, overcoming a long-standing limitation in the field.

Scientists Create a New State of Matter at Room Temperature Using Light and Nanostructures

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) have created a new and unusual state of matter — known as a supersolid — by engineering how light and matter interact inside a nanoscale device. The work, published in Nature Nanotechnology, demonstrates that this exotic quantum phase can exist at room temperature, overcoming a long-standing limitation in the field. 

RPI MSE researchers report ultra-remote epitaxial growth in Nature

Posted November 11, 2025

A team led by Prof. Jian Shi of the RPI MSE department show that growth of high-quality crystals using remote epitaxy could be realized through much thicker buffer layers than previously considered possible. This finding, published in Nature, could reshape the way we produce computer chips, optoelectronics and quantum computing devices. See the full news article for more details.