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For nearly a century, quasiparticles—peculiar quantum objects that emerge from complex particle interactions—have intrigued scientists without offering much in the way of practical control. That narrative may be shifting, thanks to new research led by a team of Yale physicists, who have demonstrated an unprecedented ability to manipulate the properties of at least one type of quasiparticle.

This breakthrough challenges longstanding assumptions in fundamental physics and could pave the way for advances in quantum computing, sensing, and other emerging technologies.

Quasiparticles are not particles in the traditional sense. Instead, they arise when a central particle is surrounded by others, creating a collective system with unique behaviors that none of the individual components exhibit on their own. These emergent properties make quasiparticles essential to understanding the dynamics of interacting quantum systems.

However, their entanglement with other particles often makes them difficult to isolate and study.

“Interacting quantum systems are crucial to modern quantum science and technology, but they can be notoriously hard to decipher,” said Nir Navon, associate professor of physics in Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, member of the Yale Quantum Institute, and lead author of a new study published in Nature Physics.

“In some cases, interactions ‘dress’ particles, giving them new traits like altered mass or extended lifespans—effectively transforming them into quasiparticles,” Navon explained. “What we’ve done is show that by using a very simple control mechanism, we can tune these properties. It’s like turning a horse into a unicorn by stirring just the right amount of dust around it.”

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Navon's lab designs tabletop experiments to simulate and explore the principles of quantum mechanics. In this latest study, he and his collaborators—including theorist Michael Knap of the Technical University of Munich—focused on a particular kind of quasiparticle called a Fermi polaron. These form when an impurity interacts with a surrounding cloud of fermions, a class of subatomic particles that includes electrons.

To study Fermi polarons under highly controlled conditions, the team used lasers to trap and cool atoms to nanokelvin temperatures—just a fraction of a degree above absolute zero—and applied precise radio frequencies to manipulate the system. This allowed them to observe and influence the quasiparticles’ behavior in a way that had not previously been possible.

“Controlling a quantum system to this extent can lead to entirely new types of quantum states that might defy traditional thermodynamic laws,” said Knap. “The next step is to identify the conditions under which these exotic states can exist.”

The ability to tune quasiparticle properties could help scientists explore the boundary between quantum systems that are well understood and those that remain mysterious.

“Some of the most fascinating and strange quantum systems today are ones that don’t rely on quasiparticles at all,” Navon said. “If we can find ways to controllably create—or even destroy—quasiparticles, we may open up a whole new frontier in quantum science.”