Room-Temperature Stabilization of a Hidden FCC–BCC Phase in Silver Nanoparticle Superlattices

Researchers from Brown University and the University of Michigan used shape-tuned silver nanoparticles called 'mecons' to self-assemble into superlattices that stabilize the intermediate structures predicted by the Nishiyama-Wassermann pathway for the FCC-to-BCC transition. The resulting material locks in a long-theorized phase at room temperature and exhibits deep-strong light-matter coupling, offering a potential platform for quantum information technologies and quantum computing applications.