Hydrogen turns superfluid, unlocking 50-year-old quantum mystery

Overview

Scientists trapped hydrogen molecules in frozen helium droplets at nearly absolute zero and watched them flow without friction—the first direct observation of superfluidity in a molecule. When they spun a methane molecule inside clusters of 15 to 20 hydrogen molecules, it rotated forever without slowing down, confirming what Nobel laureate Vitaly Ginzburg predicted in 1972 but no one could prove until now.

In This Story

3 People

Hydrogen Storage Technology Transforms Clean Energy

3 Context

Discovery of Helium Superfluidity (1937-1938)

Key Indicators

15-20

Molecules needed for superfluidity

Critical cluster size where hydrogen transitions to superfluid behavior

-272.25°C

Operating temperature (0.4 K)

Near absolute zero temperature required for observation

60%+

Molecules in quantum exchange

Portion participating in bosonic quantum behavior

53 years

From prediction to proof

Time since Ginzburg's 1972 theoretical prediction

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People Involved

Takamasa Momose

Professor of Chemistry, University of British Columbia (Senior author of breakthrough study)

Hatsuki Otani

PhD Student, UBC Chemistry (at time of research) (Lead researcher on experimental work)

Vitaly Ginzburg

Theoretical Physicist, Nobel Laureate (deceased 2009) (Made 1972 prediction confirmed by recent discovery)

Organizations Involved

University of British Columbia Department of Chemistry

Academic Research Department

Status: Leading institution in quantum fluids research

Canadian research powerhouse specializing in ultracold molecular physics and quantum chemistry.

RIKEN

Japanese Research Institute

Status: Collaborative research partner on hydrogen superfluidity

Japan's flagship scientific research institute with 3,000 scientists across seven campuses.

Timeline

3D Quantum Spin Liquid Confirmed
Quantum Materials Discovery

Rice University team verifies emergent photon-like behavior in cerium zirconium oxide, confirming first true 3D quantum spin liquid.
December 17th, 2025
IBM Unveils Quantum Nighthawk Processor
Quantum Computing Advance

IBM releases 120-qubit processor with 218 next-generation tunable couplers, advancing path to fault-tolerant quantum computing by 2029.
November 12th, 2025
First Superfluidity Observed in Molecular Hydrogen
Scientific Discovery

Researchers publish in Science Advances direct evidence that hydrogen clusters of 15-20 molecules exhibit frictionless flow inside helium nanodroplets at 0.4 Kelvin, with over 60% of molecules participating in quantum bosonic exchange.
February 24th, 2025
UBC Announces Hydrogen Superfluidity Breakthrough
Research Announcement

University of British Columbia reveals first direct observation of superfluidity in molecular hydrogen, confirming Ginzburg's 53-year-old prediction.
February 21st, 2025
Google's Willow Chip Achieves Error Correction Milestone
Quantum Computing Advance

Google's 105-qubit Willow processor demonstrates below-threshold quantum error correction, cutting error rates in half with each scaling step.
December 9th, 2024
Ginzburg Wins Nobel Prize
Recognition

Vitaly Ginzburg awarded Nobel Prize in Physics for contributions to theory of superconductors and superfluids.
October 7th, 2003
Ginzburg Predicts Hydrogen Superfluidity
Theoretical Prediction

Nobel laureate Vitaly Ginzburg theorized that liquid hydrogen might also become superfluid at low temperatures, but no one could test it—hydrogen solidifies at -259°C.
January 1st, 1972
Bose-Einstein Condensation Linked to Superfluidity
Theoretical Breakthrough

Fritz London proposed superfluidity arises from Bose-Einstein condensation—the first suggestion that quantum mechanics operates at macroscopic scales.
March 1st, 1938
Superfluidity Discovered in Helium
Scientific Discovery

Pyotr Kapitza in Moscow and independently John Allen and Donald Misener in Cambridge observed that liquid helium flows without friction below 2.2 Kelvin, coining the term 'superfluid.'
December 3rd, 1937

Scenarios

Hydrogen Storage Technology Transforms Clean Energy

Discussed by: Science journalists at Physics World, clean energy analysts, and quantum materials researchers

The superfluidity discovery inspires new approaches to hydrogen storage at the molecular level. Engineers develop materials that exploit quantum collective behavior to store hydrogen at higher densities with lower energy costs than current compression or liquefaction methods. Within a decade, quantum-designed storage tanks using superfluid principles become standard in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and grid-scale energy systems, accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels. The breakthrough validates decades of investment in quantum materials research and establishes a new field at the intersection of condensed matter physics and energy engineering.

Discovery Remains Academic Curiosity

Discussed by: Skeptics noting the extreme conditions required (near absolute zero temperatures)

The superfluidity effect only occurs at 0.4 Kelvin in nanoscale clusters—conditions too extreme and energy-intensive for practical applications. The discovery deepens theoretical understanding of quantum fluids but never translates to usable technology. Hydrogen storage continues relying on conventional compression and chemical methods. The research earns citations in quantum physics journals but doesn't impact the clean energy sector. Like many fundamental physics breakthroughs, it illuminates nature's behavior without immediate utility, joining discoveries that inform theory but don't transform industry.

Quantum Materials Revolution Accelerates

Discussed by: Quantum computing researchers and materials scientists tracking convergent breakthroughs

The hydrogen superfluidity breakthrough combines with recent advances in quantum error correction (Google's Willow chip), quantum spin liquids, and room-temperature quantum communication to trigger a cascade of quantum materials applications. Researchers discover room-temperature superfluid analogs or develop novel quantum states in other molecules. By 2030, quantum-designed materials enable not just better hydrogen storage but also lossless power transmission, ultra-efficient quantum sensors, and new computing architectures. The 2025 UN International Year of Quantum Science and Technology marks the inflection point when quantum physics transitions from laboratory phenomenon to infrastructure technology.

Historical Context

Discovery of Helium Superfluidity (1937-1938)

1937-1938

What Happened

Pyotr Kapitza in Moscow and independently John Allen and Donald Misener in Cambridge observed that liquid helium flows without friction below the lambda point (2.2 K). Kapitza coined the term 'superfluid' by analogy with superconductors. Fritz London soon proposed the phenomenon resulted from Bose-Einstein condensation—quantum mechanics operating at visible scales.

Outcome

Short Term

Kapitza won the 1978 Nobel Prize (Allen and Misener were not recognized). The discovery launched low-temperature physics as a major field.

Long Term

Superfluid helium became essential for cooling superconducting magnets in MRI machines, particle accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider, and scientific instruments requiring ultra-low temperatures.

Why It's Relevant Today

Hydrogen superfluidity follows the same pattern: theoretical prediction, decades-long experimental challenge, eventual confirmation using innovative techniques. Both discoveries required extreme cold and opened doors to practical applications no one initially imagined.

Bose-Einstein Condensate First Created (1995)

1995

What Happened

Eric Cornell and Carl Wieman at JILA created the first Bose-Einstein condensate in rubidium atoms at 170 nanokelvin, 70 years after Einstein and Bose predicted this quantum state. Wolfgang Ketterle at MIT achieved it in sodium atoms months later. The achievement required laser cooling and magnetic trapping to slow atoms to near-zero motion.

Outcome

Short Term

Cornell, Wieman, and Ketterle won the 2001 Nobel Prize. Labs worldwide rushed to create BECs in various atoms.

Long Term

BECs became platforms for precision measurement, quantum simulation, and fundamental physics tests. They enabled atomic clocks accurate to one second in 300 million years and quantum sensors detecting gravitational waves.

Why It's Relevant Today

The hydrogen superfluidity discovery extends BEC physics to molecules rather than atoms. If molecules can exhibit collective quantum behavior, the range of controllable quantum systems expands dramatically—potentially enabling quantum technologies with richer functionality than atom-based systems allow.

High-Temperature Superconductivity Discovery (1986)

1986

What Happened

Georg Bednorz and Alex Müller discovered superconductivity in lanthanum barium copper oxide at 35 K—vastly higher than the previous record of 23 K. Within a year, yttrium barium copper oxide showed superconductivity at 92 K, above liquid nitrogen's boiling point. The mechanisms remain debated today.

Outcome

Short Term

Bednorz and Müller won the 1987 Nobel Prize, the fastest award in Nobel history. Thousands of physicists shifted research focus to high-Tc superconductors.

Long Term

High-Tc superconductors enabled MRI magnets, power cables, and particle detectors operating with cheaper liquid nitrogen cooling rather than expensive liquid helium. Room-temperature superconductivity remains the holy grail.

Why It's Relevant Today

Both discoveries show how quantum phenomena at higher temperatures or in new materials unlock practical applications. If hydrogen superfluidity leads to similar materials breakthroughs—perhaps superfluid behavior at less extreme conditions or in engineered molecules—it could revolutionize energy systems the way high-Tc superconductors transformed electromagnetics.