Stabilizing fleeting quantum states with flashes from bright X-ray free electron laser for several nanoseconds in copper oxide compound

https://www.psi.ch/en/news/science-features/stabilising-fleeting-quantum-states-with-light

"alters microscopic structure, electronic interactions/ symmetry, for metastable non-equilibrium electronic state... 1D cuprate chain units hold high density of electronic charge/ ladders relatively empty, a simplified platform to understand higher-dimensional systems... at equilibrium, symmetry prevents charge movement between the 2 units... laser pulse breaks symmetry allowing quantum tunneling from chains to ladders, turned off creates long-lived state... ultrafast optoelectronics, lossless electronics, high-capacity batteries"

Related: Researchers make key gains in unlocking the promise of compact X-ray free-electron lasers

https://phys.org/news/2025-07-key-gains-compact-ray-free.html