Observing paraparticles in ultracold matter

It was recently realized that -- contrary to common expectation -- particles with exchange statistics inequivalent to either fermions or bosons are allowed by nature [1]. Unlike well-known anyonic particles, these paraparticles can exist beyond two dimensions, in particular in ordinary three-dimensional space. Remarkably, the simplest types of paraparticles occur naturally in several AMO systems including ultracold Rydberg atoms, molecules, spinor Bose gases, and spin-1 atoms in a lattice. I will describe the unique features of paraparticles and how they emerge in ultracold matter, as well as experimental ways to observe their unique properties.

 

[1] Zhiyuan Wang and Kaden R A Hazzard, Nature 637, 314 (2025)