The Mpemba effect goes quantum

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Source: Science Magazine

Original: https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.aeh4838?af=R...

Published: 2026-03-26T06:00:07Z

Scientists have demonstrated a quantum version of the Mpemba effect in a system of quantum bits. The Mpemba effect is that warm water sometimes freezes faster than cold water. In a quantum experiment, this phenomenon was observed during the relaxation of quantum states. Superconducting quantum circuits were used at a temperature close to absolute zero. Key Finding: The initially "hotter" quantum state reached equilibrium faster than the "colder" one. The experiment showed that the effect depends on the initial density of states in the Hilbert space. The results are published in Science, volume 391, number 6792, pages 1310-1311, March 2026. This discovery confirms the universality of the Mpemba effect in quantum physics as well.