Superfluid Properties Research Articles

Reimagining and reinterpreting Cooper pairs, the Fermi sea, Pauli blocking and superfluidity: The Pauli principle in collective motion

Identifying possible microscopic mechanisms underlying superfluidity has been the goal of various studies since the introduction of the original BCS theory. Recently a series of papers have proposed microscopic dynamics based on normal modes to describe superfluidity without the use of real-space Cooper pairs. Multiple properties were determined with excellent agreement with experimental data. The group theoretic basis of this general N-body approach has allowed the microscopic behavior underlying these results to be analyzed in detail. This reimagination is now used to reinterpret several interrelated phenomena including Cooper pairs, the Fermi sea, and Pauli blocking. This approach adheres closely to the early tenets of superconductivity/superfluidity which assumed pairing only in momentum space, not in real space. The Pauli principle is used, in its recently revealed role in collective motion, to select the allowed normal modes. The expected properties of superfluidity including the rigidity of the wave function, interactions between the fermions in different pairs, convergence of the momentum and the gap in the excitation spectrum are discussed.

Irreversible entropy transport enhanced by fermionic superfluidity

The nature of particle and entropy flow between two superfluids is often understood in terms of reversible flow carried by an entropy-free, macroscopic wavefunction. While this wavefunction is responsible for many intriguing properties of superfluids and superconductors, its interplay with excitations in non-equilibrium situations is less understood. Here we observe large concurrent flows of both particles and entropy through a ballistic channel connecting two strongly interacting fermionic superfluids. Both currents respond nonlinearly to chemical potential and temperature biases. We find that the entropy transported per particle is much larger than the prediction of superfluid hydrodynamics in the linear regime and largely independent of changes in the channel’s geometry. By contrast, the timescales of advective and diffusive entropy transport vary significantly with the channel geometry. In our setting, superfluidity counterintuitively increases the speed of entropy transport. Moreover, we develop a phenomenological model describing the nonlinear dynamics within the framework of generalized gradient dynamics. Our approach for measuring entropy currents may help elucidate mechanisms of heat transfer in superfluids and superconducting devices.

Dynamics of localized waves in quasi-one-dimensional imbalanced binary Bose-Einstein condensates

In the framework of coupled Gross-Pitaevskii equations, we explore the dynamics of localized waves in quasi-1D imbalanced binary Bose-Einstein condensates where the intra-component interaction is repulsive, while the inter-component one is attractive. The existence regimes of stable self-trapped localized states in the form of symbiotic solitons have been analyzed. Imbalanced mixtures, where the number of atoms in one component exceeds the number of atoms in the other component, are considered in parabolic potential and box-like trap. A variational approach has been developed which allows us to find the stationary state of the system and frequency of small amplitude oscillations near the equilibrium. It is shown that the strength of inter-component coupling can be retrieved from the frequency of the localized state's vibrations. When all the intra-species and inter-species interactions are repulsive, we numerically find a new type of symbiotic solitons resembling dark-bright solitons. The motion of the minority component in the surrounding gas of the majority component with different velocities reveals its superfluid properties.

Phase transitions in rotating binary Bose–Einstein condensates with Spin–orbit and Rabi couplings

We present the phase transition analysis of binary Bose–Einstein condensates (BECs) with spin–orbit (SO) and Rabi couplings in quasi-two-dimensional system under rotation. In particular, we investigate the superfluid properties induced by rotation and SO coupling within hydrodynamic theory which can explain the emergence of the domain wall. By calculating the evolution of angular momentum with respect to rotation frequency, we discover first-order phase transitions where the domain wall changes into the wall-vortex complex. On the other hand, the angular momentum changes continuously with SO coupling strength accompanying by the elongation of the domain wall along x-direction. When the Rabi coupling strength exceeds a critical value, we observe a transition from the domain wall to vortex lattice resulting from a significant change of angular momentum. A phase diagram demonstrating the boundary regime in the plane of SO and Rabi coupling strengths is obtained. Our result is not only motivated by the search for novel states of matter inaccessible to existing experiments, but also by the need to identify situations where the phase transitions can be benchmarked systematically.

The K-essence flow seen from the preferred frame [formula omitted]. A scalar field theory with Landau superfluid structure

We study the hypothesis of deformation of the invariance of Lorentz transformations produced by the introduction of a universal minimum velocity relative to a preferred frame. Our goal with this job is to apply this hypothesis to superfluids and study its consequences relating the minimum velocity to the idea of a fluid, with superfluid properties. In previous works we related the minimum velocity to the cosmological constant and even to cosmic inflation. Soon we could generate a hypothetical superfluid capable of modeling with characteristics of a cosmological fluid with dark energy properties. The first excited state of this universal superfluid would be a preferred frame from which all other excited states are observed and then we would have a preferred frame SV associated with the critical Landau velocity, thus implying that the universal minimum velocity coincides with the critical Landau velocity, and the objects observed by the preferred frame are excited states of the superfluid. This coincidence between the concepts of minimum velocity and Landau’s critical velocity makes Landau’s critical velocity a type of limit velocity, modifying the usual causal structure of restricted relativity. Formulating the phenomena in this preferred frame would have the advantage of providing a simple explanation for astrophysical and cosmological phenomena linked to a causal structure, which emerges from this construction and is very similar to causal structures linked to Gordon geometry and acoustic tachyons. We build a deformed relativistic Lagrangian, demonstrate its relation with a k-essence Lagrangian and calculate the quantities associated with that Lagrangian. We also studied an irrotational fluid and verified the role of enthalpy associated with the minimum velocity structure.

Metastable supersolid in spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensates

Supersolid is a special state of matter with both superfluid properties and spontaneous modulation of particle density. In this paper, we focus on the supersolid stripe phase realized in a spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensate and explore the properties of a class of metastable supersolids. In particular, we study a one-dimensional supersolid whose characteristic wave number $k$ (magnitude of wave vector) deviates from $k_{m}$, i.e., the one at ground state. In other words, the period of density modulation is shorter or longer than the one at ground state. We find that this class of supersolids can still be stable if their wave numbers fall in the range $k_{c1}<k<k_{c2}$, with two thresholds $k_{c1}$ and $k_{c2}$. Stripes with $k$ outside this range suffer from dynamical instability with complex Bogoliubov excitation spectrum at long wavelength. Experimentally, these stripes with $k$ away from $k_m$ are accessible by exciting the longitudinal spin dipole mode, resulting in temporal oscillation of stripe period as well as $k$. Within the mean-field Gross-Pitaevskii theory, we numerically confirm that for a large enough amplitude of spin dipole oscillation, the stripe states become unstable through breaking periodicity, in qualitative agreement with the existence of thresholds of $k$ for stable stripes. Our work extends the concept of supersolid and uncovers a new class of metastable supersolids to explore.

Sweeping across the BCS-BEC crossover, reentrant, and hidden quantum phase transitions in two-band superconductors by tuning the valence and conduction bands

Two-band electronic structures with a valence and a conduction band separated by a tunable energy gap and with pairing of electrons in different channels can be relevant to investigate the properties of two-dimensional multiband superconductors and electron-hole superfluids, as monolayer FeSe, recently discovered superconducting bilayer graphene, and double-bilayer graphene electron-hole systems. This electronic configuration allows also to study the coexistence of superconductivity and charge density waves in connection with underdoped cuprates and transition metal dichalcogenides. By using a mean-field approach to study the system above mentioned, we have obtained numerical results for superconducting gaps, chemical potential, condensate fractions, coherence lengths, and superconducting mean-field critical temperature, considering a tunable band gap and different filling of the conduction band, for parametric choice of the pairing interactions. By tuning these quantities, the electrons redistribute among valence and conduction band in a complex way, leading to a new physics with respect to single-band superconductors, such as density induced and band-selective BCS-BEC crossover, quantum phase transitions, and hidden criticalities. At finite temperature, this phenomenon is also responsible for the non-monotonic behavior of the superconducting gaps resulting in a superconducting-normal state reentrant transition, without the need of disorder or magnetic effects.

Phase Structure of Electroweak Vacuum in a Strong Magnetic Field: The Lattice Results.

Using first-principle lattice simulations, we demonstrate that in the background of a strong magnetic field (around 10^{20} T), the electroweak sector of the vacuum experiences two consecutive crossover transitions associated with dramatic changes in the zero-temperature dynamics of the vector W bosons and the scalar Higgs particles, respectively. Above the first crossover, we observe the appearance of large, inhomogeneous structures consistent with a classical picture of the formation of W and Z condensates pierced by vortices. The presence of the W and Z condensates supports the emergence of the exotic superconducting and superfluid properties induced by a strong magnetic field in the vacuum. We find evidence that the vortices form a disordered solid or a liquid rather than a crystal. The second transition restores the electroweak symmetry. Such conditions can be realized in the near-horizon region of the magnetized black holes.

Excitonic Insulators and Superfluidity in Two-Dimensional Bilayers without External Fields.

We explore a new platform for realizing excitonic insulators, namely van der Waals (vdW) bilayers comprising two-dimensional Janus materials. In previous studies, type II heterobilayers have been brought to the excitonic insulating regime by tuning the band alignment using external gates. In contrast, the Janus bilayers presented here represent intrinsic excitonic insulators. We first conduct ab initio calculations to obtain the quasiparticle band structures, screened Coulomb interaction, and interlayer exciton binding energies of the bilayers. These ab initio-derived quantities are then used to construct a BCS-like Hamiltonian of the exciton condensate. By solving the mean-field gap equation, we identify 16 vdW Janus bilayers with insulating ground states and superfluid properties. Our calculations expose a new class of advanced materials that are likely to exhibit novel excitonic phases at low temperatures and highlight the subtle competition between interlayer hybridization, spin-orbit coupling, and dielectric screening that governs their properties.

Stochastic processes for pulsar timing noise: fluctuations in the internal and external torques

AbstractYoung pulsars deviate from a perfectly regular spin-down by two non-deterministic phenomena: impulsive glitches and timing noise. Both phenomena are interesting per se and may provide insights into the superfluid properties of neutron stars, but they also act as a barrier to high-precision pulsar timing and gravitational wave experiments. We study a minimal stochastic model to describe the spin-down of a multicomponent neutron star, with fluctuations in both the internal and external torques. The power spectral density and timing noise strength of this kind of model can be obtained analytically and compared with known results from pulsar timing observational campaigns. In particular, the presence of flat regions of the power spectral density can be interpreted as a signature of the presence of internal superfluid components. We also derive the expected scaling of the timing noise strength with the pulsar’s rotational parameters (or characteristic age). Therefore, the present framework offers a theoretical guideline to interpret the observed features of timing noise in both single pulsars and across the pulsar population.

Statistical model of a superfluid solid

A microscopic statistical model of a quantum solid is developed, where inside a crystalline lattice there can exist regions of disorder, such as dislocation networks or grain boundaries. The cores of these regions of disorder are allowed for exhibiting fluid-like properties. If the solid is composed of Bose atoms, then the fluid-like aggregations inside the regions of disorder can exhibit Bose-Einstein condensation and hence superfluidity. The regions of disorder are randomly distributed throughout the sample, so that for describing the overall properties of the solid requires to accomplish averaging over the disordered aggregation configurations. The averaging procedure results in a renormalized Hamiltonian of a solid that can combine the properties of a crystal and superfluidity. The possibility of such a combination depends on the system parameters. In general, there exists a range of the model parameters allowing for the occurrence of superfluidity inside the disordered aggregations. This microscopic statistical model gives the opportunity to answer which real quantum crystals can exhibit the property of superfluidity and which cannot.

Nonlocality as the source of purely quantum dynamics of BCS superconductors

We show that the classical (mean-field) description of far from equilibrium superconductivity is exact in the thermodynamic limit for local observables but breaks down for global quantities, such as the entanglement entropy or Loschmidt echo. We do this by solving for and comparing exact quantum and exact classical long-time dynamics of a BCS superconductor with interaction strength inversely proportional to time and evaluating local observables explicitly. Mean field is exact for both normal and anomalous averages (superconducting order) in the thermodynamic limit. However, for anomalous expectation values, this limit does not commute with adiabatic and strong coupling limits and, as a consequence, their quantum fluctuations can be unusually strong. The long-time steady state of the system is a gapless superconductor whose superfluid properties are only accessible through energy resolved measurements. This state is nonthermal but conforms to an emergent generalized Gibbs ensemble. Our study clarifies the nature of symmetry-broken many-body states in and out of equilibrium and fills a crucial gap in the theory of time-dependent quantum integrability.

Dark and thermal reservoir contributions to polariton sound velocity

Exciton-polaritons in an optical microcavity can form a macroscopically coherent state despite being an inherently driven-dissipative system. In comparison with equilibrium bosonic fluids, polaritonic condensates possess multiple peculiarities that make them behave differently from well-known textbook examples. One such peculiarity is the presence of dark excitons which are created by the pump together with optically active particles. They can considerably affect the spectrum of elementary excitations of the condensate and hence change its superfluid properties. Here, we theoretically analyze the influence of the bright and dark ``reservoir'' populations on the sound velocity ${c}_{s}$ of incoherently driven polaritons. Both pulsed and continuous-wave pumping schemes characterized by essentially different condensate-to-reservoir ratios are considered. We show that the dark exciton contribution leads to considerable lowering of ${c}_{s}$ and to its deviation from the square-root-like behavior on the system's chemical potential (measurable condensate blueshift). Importantly, our model allows us to unambiguously define the density of dark excitons in the system by experimentally tracking ${c}_{s}$ against the condensate blueshift and fitting the dependence at a given temperature.

Fermionic superfluidity: from cold atoms to neutron stars

From flow without dissipation of energy to the formation of vortices when placed within a rotating container, the superfluid state of matter has proven to be a very interesting physical phenomenon. Here we present the key mechanisms behind superfluidity in fermionic systems and apply our understanding to one of the most exotic systems in the universe: the superfluid interior of a neutron star. The extreme conditions of neutron stars prevent us from directly probing the internal superfluid properties, however, we can experimentally realize conditions resembling the interior through the use of cold atoms prepared in a laboratory and simulated on a computer. Key insights can be gained by simulating the neutron star superfluid using another system with analogous properties: a cold atomic Fermi gas. Computational physicists are leveraging the power of supercomputers to simulate interacting atomic systems with unprecedented accuracy. In this paper we provide a pedagogical introduction to the physics, guiding the reader through the major conceptual steps to understand the relation between cold atoms, superfluids, and neutron stars. We stress the surprising similarity between these systems, which stems from universality, a fundamental notion in many-body physics. These topics are available in advanced textbooks, but introductory materials are harder to come by; this paper is intended to fill the gap for curious undergraduate and graduate students. We will show how cold atoms can help us make significant strides towards understanding the exotic physics found deep within the universe.

Can Angular Oscillations Probe Superfluidity in Dipolar Supersolids?

Angular oscillations can provide a useful probe of the superfluid properties of a system. Such measurements have recently been applied to dipolar supersolids, which exhibit both density modulation and phase coherence, and for which robust probes of superfluidity are particularly interesting. So far, these investigations have been confined to linear droplet arrays, which feature relatively simple excitation spectra, but limited sensitivity to the effects of superfluidity. Here, we explore angular oscillations in systems with 2D structure which, in principle, have greater sensitivity to superfluidity. In both experiment and simulation, we find that the interplay of superfluid and crystalline excitations leads to a frequency of angular oscillations that remains nearly unchanged even when the superfluidity of the system is altered dramatically. This indicates that angular oscillation measurements do not always provide a robust experimental probe of superfluidity with typical experimental protocols.

Quantum Hydrodynamics of Fractonic Superfluids with Lineon Condensate: From Navier–Stokes-Like Equations to Landau-Like Criterion

Fractonic superfluids are exotic states of matter with spontaneously broken higher-rank U(1) symmetry. The broken symmetry is associated with conserved quantities, including not only particle number (i.e., charge) but also higher moments, such as dipoles, quadrupoles, and angular moments. Owing to the presence of such conserved quantities, the mobility of particles is restricted either completely or partially. Here, we systematically study the hydrodynamical properties of fractonic superfluids, especially focusing on the fractonic superfluids with conserved angular moments. The constituent bosons are called “lineons” with d components in d-dimensional space. From the Euler–Lagrange equation, we derive the continuity equation and Navier–Stokes-like equations, in which the angular moment conservation introduces extra terms. Further, we discuss the current configurations related to the defects. Like the conventional superfluid, we study the critical values of velocity fields and density currents, which gives rise to a Landau-like criterion. Finally, several future directions are discussed.

Quantum Gutzwiller approach for the two-component Bose-Hubbard model

We study the effects of quantum fluctuations in the two-component Bose-Hubbard model generalizing to mixtures the quantum Gutzwiller approach introduced recently in [Phys. Rev. Research 2, 033276 (2020)]. As a basis for our study, we analyze the mean-field ground-state phase diagram and spectrum of elementary excitations, with particular emphasis on the quantum phase transitions of the model. Within the quantum critical regimes, we address both the superfluid transport properties and the linear response dynamics to density and spin probes of direct experimental relevance. Crucially, we find that quantum fluctuations have a dramatic effect on the drag between the superfluid species of the system, particularly in the vicinity of the paired and antipaired phases absent in the usual one-component Bose-Hubbard model. Additionally, we analyse the contributions of quantum corrections to the one-body coherence and density/spin fluctuations from the perspective of the collective modes of the system, providing results for the few-body correlations in all the regimes of the phase diagram.

Superfluid properties of bright solitons in a ring

We theoretically investigate superfluid properties of a one-dimensional annular superfluid with a boost. We derive the formula of the superfluid fraction in the one-dimensional superfluid, which was originally derived by Leggett in the context of supersolid. We see that the superfluid fraction given by Leggett's formula detects the emergence of solitons in the one-dimensional annular superfluid. The formation of a bright soliton at a critical interaction strength decreases the superfluid fraction. At a critical boost velocity, a node appears in the soliton and the superfluid fraction vanishes. With a transverse dimension, the soliton alters to a more localized one and it undergoes dynamical instability at a critical transverse length. Consequently, the superfluid fraction decreases as one increases the length up to the critical length. With a potential barrier along the ring, the uniform density alters to an inhomogeneous configuration and it develops a soliton localized at one of the potential minima by increasing the interaction strength.

Coherently Coupled Mixtures of Ultracold Atomic Gases

This article summarizes some of the relevant features exhibited by binary mixtures of Bose–Einstein condensates in the presence of coherent coupling at zero temperature. The coupling, which is experimentally produced by proper photon transitions, can involve either negligible momentum transfer from the electromagnetic radiation (Rabi coupling) or large momentum transfer (Raman coupling) associated with spin–orbit effects. The nature of the quantum phases exhibited by coherently coupled mixtures is discussed in detail, including their paramagnetic, ferromagnetic, and, in the case of spin–orbit coupling, supersolid phases. The behavior of the corresponding elementary excitations is discussed, with explicit emphasis on the novel features caused by the spin-like degree of freedom. Focus is further given to the topological excitations (solitons, vortices) as well as to the superfluid properties. This review also points out relevant open questions that deserve more systematic theoretical and experimental investigations.

Quasi-one-dimensional He4 in nanopores

Low temperature structural and superfluid properties of $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ confined in cylindrical nanopores are theoretically investigated by means of first-principle quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulations. We vary the density of $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ inside the pore, as well as the pore diameter and the potential describing the interaction of each $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ atom with the pore surface. Accordingly, the $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ fluid inside the pore forms either a single channel along the axis, or a series of concentric cylindrical shells, with varying degrees of shell overlap. In the limit of pore length greatly exceeding its radius, the $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ fluid always displays markedly one-dimensional behavior, with no ``dimensional crossover'' above some specific pore radius and/or as multiple concentric shells form, in contrast to what was recently claimed by other authors [Phys. Rev. B 101, 104505 (2020)]. Indeed, the predicted robustness of one-dimensional physics suggests that this system may offer a broadly viable pathway to the experimental observation of exotic behavior of, e.g., junctions of interacting Tomonaga-Luttinger liquids, in an appropriately designed network of nanopores.