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Laser pulses induce electronic changes on the cuprate scale, creating long-lasting quantum states that last about a thousand times longer than normal. Credit: Brad Baxley / Part to Whole

Quantum time freezing: Lasers freeze quantum states a thousand times longer

Using powerful laser and X-ray pulses, researchers from Harvard and the Scherrer Institute have succeeded in breaking electronic symmetry and trapping a long-lasting quantum state – a move that could lead to breakthroughs in information storage and optoelectronic devices.