Scientists Create “Quantum Sound” Device That Works Near Absolute Zero
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Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Telegram Email Reddit A new ultra-cold device developed at McGill University can generate controlled sound-like quantum vibrations known as phonons. The discovery could open the door to future technologies that use sound in ways similar to how modern systems use light and electricity. Credit: ShutterstockThe technology could support advances in high-speed communication systems, sensing tools, biological materials, and medical technologies.Researchers at McGill University have created a new device that produces phonons, which are particles associated with sound, under extremely cold conditions. The work could help pave the way for phonon lasers, a technology with potential uses in communication systems and medical diagnostics.“Modern communication is largely based on light, including electromagnetic waves and electrical currents. In a medium such as oceans, sound can travel, whereas light and electrical currents cannot,” said Michael Hilke, Associate Professor of Physics and study co-author. “In the human body, sound waves can also be a useful tool.”The device was developed and studied at McGill University and the National Research Council of Canada, while the material used in the work was produced at Princeton University.Fast electrons create sound-like vibrationsTo make the device work, an electrical current is directed through a two-dimensional crystal layer, where electrons are confined inside a channel only a few atoms thick. When the electrons are driven through the channel with enough force, they give off energy in the form of phonons, producing controlled bursts of sound-related vibrations that can be adjusted in predictable ways.The device works by sending an electrical current through a two-dimensional layer of crystal, trapping electrons in a channel within an area just a few atoms thick. Credit: Michael Hilke et alThe effect appears only under extreme cooling, with the devices brought down to temperatures ranging from about 10 millikelvin to 3.9 Kelvin. At those conditions, electrons move in a more orderly way, allowing scientists to study quantum effects, where matter can act more like waves than ordinary particles.“At absolute zero temperatures—that is, the world of quantum physics—no sound is created unless electrons travel collectively at the speed of sound or above,” Hilke explained. “Earlier work had observed related effects as electron speeds approached the sound barrier. Our study goes further by pushing the system well beyond that point and showing that existing theories need to be reassessed by considering that electrons can be very hot even if the host crystal is close to absolute zero temperature.”New materials could accelerate device speedHilke said future research will examine whether other materials, including graphene, could make the device run at even higher speeds.Such advances could support faster communication technologies, improved sensors, biological materials, and advanced medical systems.“Phonons are hard to generate and harness in a controlled way, so we are exploring new regimes. At a broad level, this is about how electrical current and energy moves and is converted inside advanced electronic materials,” he said.Reference: “Resonant Magnetophonon Emission by Supersonic Electrons in Ultrahigh-Mobility Two-Dimensional Systems” by Z. T. Wang, M. Hilke, N. Fong, D. G. Austing, S. A. Studenikin, K. W. West and L. N. Pfeiffer, 8 April 2026, Physical Review Letters. DOI: 10.1103/m1nb-j1h6The study was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologie.Never miss a breakthrough: Join the SciTechDaily newsletter.Follow us on Google and Google News.Condensed Matter Lasers Materials Science McGill University Nanotechnology Quantum Physics America’s Most Powerful Laser Fires Its First 2-Petawatt Shot New Possibilities Discovered for Room-Temperature Superconductivity Scientists Use Light To Trigger Magnetism in Nonmagnetic Material Amazing Twist: “Magic” Angle Graphene and the Creation of Unexpected Topological Quantum States Physics Process Yielding Nanolasers in 2D Semiconductors Could Be Game-Changer for High Speed Communications After Decades of Trying, Physicists Observe Kondo Cloud Quantum Phenomenon for the First Time Los Alamos Uses Quantum Dots to Successfully Amplify Light Scientists Develop a Light-Driven Three-Dimensional Plasmonic Nanosystem Quantum Process Significantly Boosts the Energy That Can Be Harnessed from Sunlight New Research Shows Vitamin B12 May Hold the Key to Healthy Aging These Simple Daily Habits Can Quickly Improve Blood Pressure and Heart Risk Factors A Common Nutrient May Play a Surprising Role in Anxiety Doing This After 9 p.m.
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