A tiny chip of gallium arsenide can host actual whirlpools made of flowing electricity.

Electrons usually move like individual billiard balls, but in certain materials, they start to flow together like water. This experiment used transport measurements to detect large-scale whirlpools forming within a two-dimensional electron liquid. It is a direct and vivid demonstration of electron hydrodynamics, where electricity mimics the behavior of a classical fluid. These whirlpools are stable and can be controlled by changing the shape of the container. This discovery could lead to new ways of moving energy through circuits with much less resistance.