A tiny chain of atoms only a few nanometers long can behave like a single, giant quantum liquid.
Most quantum liquids require vast numbers of particles to show collective behavior where they all move in sync. This experiment visualized these complex modes in segments of matter as small as one billionth of a meter. These many-body quantum dots prove that collective physics does not need much space to emerge. It challenges the textbook idea that individual atoms act alone when they are packed into such tiny structures. Understanding these miniature liquids could help us build much smaller and more efficient quantum transistors. This pushes the limit of miniaturization for the next century of electronics.
Collective quantum state at the atomic limit
arXiv · 2605.05587
Collective quantum states are often associated with extended systems, where spatially extensive degrees of freedom enable emergent many-body behavior; whether such strongly correlated states survive at atomic dimensions remains a fundamental question. Tomonaga-Luttinger liquids provide a paradigmatic example of one-dimensional collective quantum matter characterized by spin-charge separation. Using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we directly visualize quantized co