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<p>Stationary relativistic electromagnetic solitons hold great promise for high-energy photon storage and radiation mechanisms, yet their controlled generation and study remain a substantial challenge. Here we report the first controlled generation of a macroscopic, long-lived soliton driven by relativistic terahertz electromagnetic fields. This soliton exhibits key signatures resembling ball lightning: a millimetre-scale spherical profile, a lifetime of 100 ns in the laboratory frame (equivalent to metre-scale dimensions and second-scale durations under natural conditions) and broadband optical emission from ultraviolet to infrared, including characteristic spectral lines from elemental ionization processes. Time-resolved analysis of its spatial profile and spectral evolution reveals the formation of a relativistic terahertz soliton with ball-lightning-like characteristics. The soliton expands following the adiabatic ‘snowplow’ model, and its sustained luminosity indicates continuous electromagnetic energy confinement. This work establishes a laboratory-accessible platform for investigating optical soliton physics, advanced energy storage mechanisms and the long-standing scientific puzzle of ball lightning.</p>

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Ball-lightning-like relativistic terahertz solitons

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月16日

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  • Chuliang Zhou,
  • Dongdong Zhang,
  • Rong Qi,
  • Yafeng Bai,
  • Yushan Zeng,
  • Zhuorui Zheng,
  • Liwei Song,
  • Ye Tian,
  • Ruxin Li

摘要

Stationary relativistic electromagnetic solitons hold great promise for high-energy photon storage and radiation mechanisms, yet their controlled generation and study remain a substantial challenge. Here we report the first controlled generation of a macroscopic, long-lived soliton driven by relativistic terahertz electromagnetic fields. This soliton exhibits key signatures resembling ball lightning: a millimetre-scale spherical profile, a lifetime of 100 ns in the laboratory frame (equivalent to metre-scale dimensions and second-scale durations under natural conditions) and broadband optical emission from ultraviolet to infrared, including characteristic spectral lines from elemental ionization processes. Time-resolved analysis of its spatial profile and spectral evolution reveals the formation of a relativistic terahertz soliton with ball-lightning-like characteristics. The soliton expands following the adiabatic ‘snowplow’ model, and its sustained luminosity indicates continuous electromagnetic energy confinement. This work establishes a laboratory-accessible platform for investigating optical soliton physics, advanced energy storage mechanisms and the long-standing scientific puzzle of ball lightning.