SMRTR Science & EngineeringSep 8, 2025Interesting Engineering

90-year-old ‘second sound’ quantum theory observed in superfluid helium

SMRTR summary

MIT physicists have directly observed "second sound," a quantum phenomenon where heat moves in waves rather than spreading gradually. Using lithium-6 atoms and radio waves, they filmed this effect in superfluid helium, providing visual evidence of a concept predicted in 1938. This breakthrough could advance astrophysics and superconductivity research, potentially improving our understanding of neutron stars and aiding the development of high-temperature superconductors for various applications.

SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Interesting Engineering.

Read the original article
SMRTR Science & Engineering

Get the next batch of curated summaries in your inbox.

This archive is built from SMRTR newsletter summaries. Subscribe for hand-picked stories without the extra noise.