Driven by a collaboration of leading scientists from multiple top universities—including the Technion, Bar-Ilan University, MIT, Harvard, and Stanford—this research, published in Nature, pushes the envelope of electron microscopy and optical physics. The team harnessed advanced electron interferometry combined with innovative opto-mechanical systems to achieve unprecedented temporal and spatial resolution. This allowed them to peer into the elusive microcosm where light’s dark points move with previously unmeasurable speed and precision.

Optical vortices represent phase singularities within a wavefront. Analogous to whirlpools in fluids or vortices in air currents, these singular points are characterized by a complete null in intensity, making them invisible in conventional imaging. What makes them fascinating is their dynamical behavior within the wave: theoretically, these vortices can propagate at speeds exceeding their surrounding waves. This seemingly paradoxical prediction from the 1970s defies common intuition but remains consistent with fundamental physical laws.

Einstein’s theory of relativity establishes that nothing can travel faster than light through a vacuum, as this is the cosmic speed limit for objects carrying mass or transmitting information. However, the phase singularities measured in this experiment are massless entities that do not convey energy or information, thus sidestepping the constraints set by relativity. They serve as fascinating wave interference phenomena where superluminal velocities are possible without contradicting physics principles.

To experimentally observe these phenomena, the researchers turned to hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), a unique material where visible light couples with lattice vibrations, producing hybrid light-sound waves called polaritons. Polaritons propagate dramatically slower—around 100 times slower—than light in vacuum, creating an environment where the behavior of vortices can be magnified and studied in detail. Within these slow-moving waves, the optical vortices were observed leaping ahead, virtually surpassing light’s speed as it traverses through this constrained medium.

The experimental setup itself was a marvel of precision engineering. By integrating a finely tuned laser system with an electron microscope outfitted with state-of-the-art opto-mechanical components, the team succeeded in simultaneously capturing the spatial structure and rapid temporal evolution of these vortices. This synergy of technologies allowed them to transform theoretical predictions into tangible measurements at the nanoscale, revealing unprecedented details about light’s complex morphology.

Professor Ido Kaminer, leading the Technion research team, emphasized that these discoveries extend beyond optics. They reflect universal laws governing wave phenomena across fields—from acoustics and fluid dynamics to more complex quantum systems like superconductors. The breakthrough provides a novel diagnostic tool for exploring the swiftest and most subtle processes at the nanoscale, potentially revolutionizing microscopy techniques and the study of transient physical phenomena.

This pioneering work opens new horizons for various scientific disciplines. The ability to track these nanoscale superluminal motions could redefine approaches in nanophotonics, quantum information storage, and superconductivity research. Scientists anticipate that electron interferometry-based microscopy, capable of visualizing these rapid “dances” of dark points, will illuminate hidden mechanisms in chemistry and biology, fundamentally altering how we understand nature’s fastest processes.

Furthermore, the study’s implications touch on the essential mechanisms underpinning wave interference, phase singularities, and their role in encoding information within complex systems. By revealing how these singularities behave, the findings offer potential pathways to manipulating wave phenomena at a fundamental level, perhaps enabling new methods to control light-matter interactions and quantum correlations.

Combining theoretical insights with experimental finesse, the team’s work also relied on novel material preparation methods by collaborators such as Prof. Hanan Herzig Sheinfux from Bar-Ilan University. Their meticulous crafting of hBN samples allowed the controlled environment necessary for the observations. The international nature of the collaboration underscores the interconnectedness of modern scientific advances, pooling diverse expertise to tackle one of physics’ subtle frontiers.

The project received significant funding support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program, as well as foundations dedicated to advancing quantum research, ensuring the robust development of the experimental systems. This support was crucial for building the precise instrumentation and conducting the extensive data analysis required to validate superluminal motion of phase singularities.

In sum, this discovery confirms a long-standing theoretical prediction that dark points within light waves can exceed the speed of light in specific media without violating Einsteinian constraints. This remarkable confluence of wave physics, materials science, and advanced experimental techniques not only deepens our understanding of light’s fundamental nature but also propels forward the frontier of microscopic imaging and quantum information science.

Subject of Research: Not applicable
Article Title: Superluminal correlations in ensembles of optical phase singularities
News Publication Date: 25-Mar-2026
Web References: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10209-z

Keywords

Physics, Nanotechnology, Optics, Electron Microscopy, Optical Vortices, Phase Singularities, Polaritons, Superluminal Motion, Wave Interference, Quantum Information, Light-Matter Interaction, Advanced Microscopy

Coccolithophores are pivotal contributors to the global carbon cycle, forming intricate calcium carbonate shells known as coccoliths. Their fossil record, primarily found in sedimentary chalk deposits, has traditionally indicated a marine diversification burst during the Jurassic era. However, new microscopic analyses reveal subtle, nearly invisible imprints—termed ‘ghost’ fossils—in Triassic-aged rock formations, providing a glimpse into an earlier chapter of coccolithophore evolution.

The international team spearheading this research utilized advanced electron microscopy techniques, which allowed them to detect faint morphological traces that are typically undetectable through conventional paleontological methods. These ‘ghost’ fossils manifest as delicate, calcified halos embedded within sediment matrices, preserving the outline and microstructure of coccolith plates despite the absence of fully formed physical fossils.

This methodological breakthrough is significant because the Triassic period, roughly spanning 252 to 201 million years ago, was a pivotal interval characterized by major biological turnover, recovering biodiversity after the Permian-Triassic mass extinction. The identification of early coccolithophore forms in this era implies a much faster recovery and diversification of marine calcifying organisms than previously acknowledged.

Analyzing the microfossils, the researchers noted distinctive coccolith shapes and arrangements that align with modern coccolithophore lineages. These traits indicate that key physiological mechanisms underlying biomineralization—how these organisms generate their calcified shells—were already established in the Triassic. Such a timeline recalibrates our understanding of evolutionary innovation in planktonic calcifiers.

Beyond paleontological significance, this discovery bears implications for Earth’s past climate regulation. Coccolithophores influence carbon sequestration through their calcification processes and subsequent deposition as marine sediments. The early Triassic emergence of these organisms suggests that complex interactions between biological activity and the carbon cycle existed deeper in Earth’s history, potentially affecting atmospheric CO2 levels and climate dynamics at that time.

The subtlety of the ‘ghost’ fossils necessitated an interdisciplinary approach combining geology, biology, and materials science. Researchers integrated stratigraphic data with geochemical analyses, confirming that the calcified structures corresponded to biological origins and not diagenetic mineral artifacts. This robust analytical framework strengthens the case for recognizing these features as authentic remnants of ancient living cells.

This research also underscores the importance of refining fossil detection technologies, illuminating previously inaccessible windows into the deep past. Conventional fossil hunting often overlooks micro- and nanoscale evidence, which can profoundly alter narratives about the timing and nature of evolutionary radiations among marine microorganisms.

By elucidating the early diversification of marine calcifiers, this study contributes to a broader reconstruction of Paleozoic and Mesozoic marine ecosystems. It signals that calcifying phytoplankton, essential primary producers and ecosystem engineers, were active participants during geological intervals previously thought to be dominated by non-calcified or less structurally complex plankton.

Moreover, the presence of Triassic coccolithophores invites reassessment of biogeochemical feedback loops during the early Mesozoic. With calcite secretion, these microorganisms influence ocean alkalinity and carbonate sedimentation rates. Their early proliferation might have introduced novel patterns of nutrient cycling and carbon shaping that set the stage for later marine biodiversity blooms.

The findings also open exciting avenues for future research. Scientists will now look to explore the genetic and cellular frameworks that enabled such early biomineralization, probing the evolutionary pressures and environmental triggers that guided coccolithophore adaptation and success in post-extinction oceans.

In a broader scientific context, this discovery exemplifies how microscopic evidence can rewrite macro-scale narratives about Earth’s evolutionary past. It challenges assumptions about delayed biological innovation, suggesting that life’s complexity often arises not in sudden bursts but through gradual, persistent developments detectable through subtle fossilized signatures.

The study’s impact extends beyond academic circles, offering tangible insights into how life on Earth responds to extreme environmental upheavals—information crucial for predicting the resilience and adaptability of modern ecosystems facing rapid anthropogenic changes today.

Ultimately, the revelation of these ‘ghost’ coccolithophore fossils affirms that marine calcifying organisms have been shaping Earth’s biosphere and climate for much longer than formerly appreciated, highlighting the enduring interconnectedness of life and planetary processes across hundreds of millions of years.

This landmark study propels scientists to refine models of evolutionary history, marine ecology, and climate interactions, urging a reevaluation of the timelines upon which we base our understanding of life’s persistent drive toward complexity and environmental integration.

As we delve deeper into the sedimentary archives with ever-more sophisticated tools, the silent story told by these faint calcite ghosts reminds us of the vast, largely unseen biological histories encoded in the geological record, waiting to illuminate the chapters of Earth’s ancient oceans.

Subject of Research:

Article Title:

Article References:
Slater, S.M., Demangel, I. & Richoz, S. ‘Ghost’ fossils of early coccolithophores point to a Triassic diversification of marine calcifying organisms. Nat Commun 16, 9283 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65116-0

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-65116-0

Keywords: coccolithophores, Triassic period, marine calcification, fossil record, biomineralization, micropaleontology, carbon cycle, paleoceanography