In a groundbreaking discovery, physicists at Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) have engineered a perfect conductor using ultracold atoms, where energy and mass flow with unprecedented efficiency. This quantum ‘wire,’ reported by ScienceDaily.com on January 7, 2026, defies conventional physics by eliminating resistance, even amidst endless atomic collisions. The finding opens new avenues for understanding fundamental transport phenomena at the quantum level.
Typically, the movement of charge, energy, or mass encounters resistance, a fundamental principle observed in everyday materials from electrical wires to heat spreading through metal. This resistance slows down or eventually stops the flow, a concept deeply ingrained in our understanding of physics. The team’s work, however, showcases a rare exception, challenging these established norms.
By precisely confining thousands of rubidium atoms to move along a single straight line using magnetic and optical fields, the TU Wien researchers created an ultracold quantum gas. In this unique environment, they observed a form of transport where both energy and mass maintain their flow without degradation, even after countless atomic interactions, as detailed in their study published in the journal Science.
Defying conventional transport physics
Frederik Møller from the Atominstitut at TU Wien explains that transport phenomena typically fall into two categories. “We speak of ballistic transport when particles move freely and cover twice the distance in twice the time — like a bullet traveling in a straight line,” Møller states. The alternative is diffusive transport, characterized by motion dominated by random collisions, such as heat conduction, where energy and momentum are gradually shared until equilibrium is reached. This process is non-linear, requiring significantly more time to cover greater distances.
However, the behavior observed in the TU Wien experiment deviated from both familiar patterns. Instead of energy spreading out through diffusion, the atomic flow remained sharply defined and undiminished. Møller highlights, “By studying the atomic current, we could see that diffusion is practically completely suppressed. The gas behaves like a perfect conductor; even though countless collisions occur between the atoms, quantities like mass and energy flow freely, without dissipating into the system.”
A quantum Newton’s cradle effect
The researchers illustrate this remarkable effect with an analogy to a Newton’s cradle, where momentum transfers directly through a series of suspended balls without significant loss. In their quantum system, atoms collide along a single direction, meaning their momenta are not scattered but merely exchanged between collision partners. “Each atom’s momentum remains conserved — it can only be passed on, never lost,” Møller explains, underscoring the system’s extraordinary efficiency.
This continuous, undiminished motion prevents the atomic cloud from thermalizing, meaning it does not distribute its energy according to the usual laws of thermodynamics. Unlike most materials where energy and momentum eventually dissipate as heat, this perfect conductor allows them to travel indefinitely. Studying transport under such perfectly controlled conditions, as Møller suggests, could “open new ways to understand how resistance emerges, or disappears, at the quantum level,” paving the way for future quantum technologies.
The creation of a perfect conductor from ultracold atoms represents a significant milestone in quantum physics, challenging long-held assumptions about resistance and energy dissipation. This groundbreaking work from TU Wien not only deepens our fundamental understanding of matter but also hints at revolutionary applications in fields ranging from quantum computing to energy transmission. As scientists continue to explore the implications of this frictionless quantum flow, the potential for novel materials and technologies appears increasingly within reach.
