Ball-Lightning-like Terahertz Solitons

Ball-Lightning-like Terahertz Solitons | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Ball-Lightning-like Terahertz Solitons Ye Tian, Chuliang Zhou, Dongdong Zhang, Rong Qi, Yafeng Bai, Yushan Zeng, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6473214/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 16 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in Nature Photonics → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The emergence of confined structures and pattern formation, such as solitons, are exceptional manifestations of nonlinear interactions found in a variety of physical, chemical, and biological systems. Although the study of stationary relativistic electromagnetic solitons holds significant potential for advancing high-energy photon storage and radiation mechanisms - as exemplified by natural phenomena such as ball lightning - harnessing these dynamics remains a formidable scientific and technical challenge. In this work, we report the first controlled generation of macroscopic static solitons that replicate the defining characteristics of ball lightning: millimeter-scale spherical morphology, 100 ns longevity in the laboratory frame (with scaling equivalence to meter-scale dimensions and second-scale duration in natural conditions), and argon-ion broadband optical emissions spanning ultraviolet to infrared spectra, marked by characteristic lines of elemental ionization processes. By leveraging field-enhanced surface plasmon polaritons in argon environments, we demonstrate relativistic-intensity confinement that spontaneously organizes into stable terahertz solitons via dynamic equilibrium between radiation pressure and plasma gradient forces. Our time-resolved experimental measurements establish a viable framework for pioneering investigations in optical soliton physics, advanced energy storage mechanisms, and the long-standing scientific enigma of ball lightning. Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Optical physics/Solitons Physical sciences/Physics/Optical physics/Terahertz optics Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Optical physics/Terahertz optics Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SupplementaryMoviemov1seq1v1.mp4 Supplementary Movies S1 suppv415.docx Supplementary Information for Ball-Lightning-like Terahertz Solitons Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 16 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in Nature Photonics → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6473214","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":464831117,"identity":"51e3b572-514f-4c11-9808-d1f597a62172","order_by":0,"name":"Ye 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