Italian scientists have made a significant discovery by effectively "frozen" light, proving that it can behave like a supersolid, a rare form of matter that possesses both frictionless flow and a solid-like structure. 

• This achievement marks a significant achievement in the field of condensed matter physics.
• It builds upon earlier work by CNR scientist Danielle Sanvitto, who demonstrated over a decade ago that light could behave like a fluid.
• Sanvitto worked alongside Dimitrios Trypogeorgos from Italy’s National Research Council (CNR) and a team of researchers to create what they called a quantum “supersolid.”

What is a supersolid?

A supersolid is a special type of matter that flows like a liquid but has a solid-like structure. Until now, scientists had only seen this state in extremely cold gases. This new experiment proves that light can also behave this way.