Double-quantum vortex in superfluid 3He-A

R. Blaauwgeers, V. B. Eltsov (), M. Krusius, J. J. Ruohio, R. Schanen and G. E. Volovik
Additional contact information
R. Blaauwgeers: Low Temperature Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology
V. B. Eltsov: Low Temperature Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology
M. Krusius: Low Temperature Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology
J. J. Ruohio: Low Temperature Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology
R. Schanen: Low Temperature Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology
G. E. Volovik: Low Temperature Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology

Nature, 2000, vol. 404, issue 6777, 471-473

Abstract: Abstract Linear defects are generic in continuous media1. In quantum systems they appear as topological line defects which are associated with a circulating persistent current. In relativistic quantum field theories they are known as cosmic strings2, in superconductors as quantized flux lines3, and in superfluids3,4 and low-density Bose–Einstein condensates5 as quantized vortex lines. A conventional quantized vortex line consists of a central core around which the phase of the order parameter winds by 2πn, while within the core the order parameter vanishes or is depleted from the bulk value. Usually vortices are singly quantized (that is, have n = 1). But it has been theoretically predicted that, in superfluid 3He-A, vortex lines are possible that have n = 2 and continuous structure, so that the orientation of the multi-component order parameter changes smoothly throughout the vortex while the amplitude remains constant. Here we report direct proof, based on high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance measurements, that the most common vortex line in 3He-A has n = 2. One vortex line after another is observed to form in a regular periodic process, similar to a phase-slip in the Josephson effect.

Date: 2000
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/35006583 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:nature:v:404:y:2000:i:6777:d:10.1038_35006583

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/

DOI: 10.1038/35006583

Access Statistics for this article

Nature is currently edited by Magdalena Skipper

More articles in Nature from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().