Wigner crystal polarons spectroscopy breakthrough

Researchers at the University of Basel and the Technical University of Munich have developed a new optical method to probe the collective motion of electrons in a Wigner crystal, an elusive quantum state of matter. By illuminating a single atomic layer of tungsten diselenide cooled to near absolute zero and analyzing the reflected light, they observed optical signatures from hybrid quasiparticles called Wigner crystal polarons. These arise from the coupling between light-generated excitons and the ordered electrons, revealing the crystal's internal quantum dynamics. The experimental team, led by Tomasz Smoleński, included first author Lujun Wang and PhD student Ferdinand Menzel. The theoretical model was developed by Michael's group at TUM, including Fabian Pichler. The findings were published in Nature Physics on 11 August 2026. The research was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the International — European Commission. This work opens new possibilities for studying strongly correlated quantum materials and could inform future quantum technologies.