Two-dimensional supersolidity in a dipolar quantum gas

Matthew A. Norcia, Claudia Politi, Lauritz Klaus, Elena Poli, Maximilian Sohmen, Manfred J. Mark, Russell N. Bisset, Luis Santos and Francesca Ferlaino ()
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Matthew A. Norcia: Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften
Claudia Politi: Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften
Lauritz Klaus: Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften
Elena Poli: Universität Innsbruck
Maximilian Sohmen: Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften
Manfred J. Mark: Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften
Russell N. Bisset: Universität Innsbruck
Luis Santos: Universität Hannover
Francesca Ferlaino: Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften

Nature, 2021, vol. 596, issue 7872, 357-361

Abstract: Abstract Supersolid states simultaneously feature properties typically associated with a solid and with a superfluid. Like a solid, they possess crystalline order, manifesting as a periodic modulation of the particle density; but unlike a typical solid, they also have superfluid properties, resulting from coherent particle delocalization across the system. Such states were initially envisioned in the context of bulk solid helium, as a possible answer to the question of whether a solid could have superfluid properties1–5. Although supersolidity has not been observed in solid helium (despite much effort)6, ultracold atomic gases provide an alternative approach, recently enabling the observation and study of supersolids with dipolar atoms7–16. However, unlike the proposed phenomena in helium, these gaseous systems have so far only shown supersolidity along a single direction. Here we demonstrate the extension of supersolid properties into two dimensions by preparing a supersolid quantum gas of dysprosium atoms on both sides of a structural phase transition similar to those occurring in ionic chains17–20, quantum wires21,22 and theoretically in chains of individual dipolar particles23,24. This opens the possibility of studying rich excitation properties25–28, including vortex formation29–31, and ground-state phases with varied geometrical structure7,32 in a highly flexible and controllable system.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03725-7

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