Researchers from Brown University and the University of Michigan College of Engineering have succeeded in stabilizing a previously elusive state of matter that had existed only in theoretical models.

Using carefully engineered nanoparticles as building blocks, the team created a new material structure that locks in a fleeting intermediate state between two of the most common crystal arrangements found in metals. The achievement not only provides new insight into how materials change their internal structure, but also reveals unusual optical properties that could one day prove useful for quantum computing and other quantum information technologies.

More broadly, the work demonstrates a powerful new strategy for designing materials from custom-made nanoparticles, opening possibilities for creating entirely new materials with tailored characteristics.

“Our work is a little bit like kids playing with LEGO blocks,” said Ou Chen, an associate professor of chemistry at Brown and a corresponding author of the research. “We synthesize unique nanoscale building blocks and stack them into interesting structures. In this case, we were able to stabilize these theorized transitional structures and demonstrate important quantum optical properties.”