MIT researchers have built a terahertz microscope that concentrates long-wavelength terahertz light into a nanoscale region, enabling observation of quantum-scale motions inside materials.

In ultrathin BSCCO superconductors cooled near absolute zero, the team observed a collective oscillation of superconducting electrons, described as a terahertz jiggle or superfluid motion.

The breakthrough overcomes the diffraction limit by using spintronic emitters to generate short bursts of terahertz radiation, with the sample positioned very close to the emitter and a Bragg mirror filtering out unwanted wavelengths.

Observation showed dramatic distortion and subsequent oscillations in the terahertz field, signaling emission from the sample driven by its internal dynamics after initial excitation.

The research was a collaborative effort across MIT and partner institutions, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

This work opens a new window into quantum phenomena in superconductors and two-dimensional materials, with potential implications for understanding superconductivity and for developing terahertz-enabled devices for communications and sensing.