Quantum droplet discovered

Electrons and holes gather to form tiny, liquidlike particle

A never-before-seen microscopic droplet has emerged amid a flood of laser light. This quantum droplet is the latest addition to a growing population of quasiparticles: collections of subatomic particles that behave like single entities.

One way to create a quasiparticle is to fire a laser at gallium arsenide, a semiconductor used in solar panels, DVD players and light-emitting diodes (SN: 6/29/13, p.