Emergence of phase coherence in a magnon Bose–Einstein condensate

Abstract The spontaneous emergence of coherence is a defining feature of multibody quantum systems, underlying phenomena from superconductivity to quantum information processing. Although Bose–Einstein condensates provide a unique setting for studying this process, direct observation of how a condensate acquires a coherent global phase has remained challenging. Here we provide evidence of spontaneous phase formation in a magnon Bose–Einstein condensate. Using a phase-referenced detection technique, we track the phase of the condensate coherent state relative to an external reference, revealing how an initially incoherent magnon gas thermalizes and undergoes a spontaneous transition into a coherent quantum state with a well-defined macroscopic phase. This observation provides evidence of spontaneous symmetry breaking in a quasiparticle condensate, confirming a central prediction of Bose–Einstein condensation theory that extends across diverse quantum systems.