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Chirality of superfluid 3He-A
1School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
Physical Review Letters
|December 11, 2012
Summary
Superfluid (3)He-A experiments reveal chiral orbital textures form during rotation. A specific texture with orbital angular momentum (l) opposing angular velocity (Ω) persists after rotation stops, influenced by vortex energies.
Area of Science:
- Low-temperature physics
- Condensed matter physics
- Superfluidity
Background:
- Superfluid (3)He-A exhibits complex phases with unique quantum properties.
- Chiral orbital textures are crucial for understanding superfluid behavior under rotation.
- Probing these textures requires precise experimental techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate chiral orbital textures in superfluid (3)He-A.
- To understand the influence of continuous rotation on texture formation.
- To compare experimental observations with numerical simulations.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing torsional oscillators with disk-shaped slabs of superfluid (3)He-A.
- Inducing superfluidity by cooling under continuous rotation.
- Analyzing flow-driven textural transitions and comparing with simulations.
Main Results:
- An oriented monodomain texture with orbital angular momentum (l) antiparallel to angular velocity (Ω) is formed after rotation ceases.
- The observed chirality bias is attributed to unequal energies of oppositely circulating vortices.
- Critical velocity for vortex nucleation depends on rotation sense relative to l.
- A distinct vorticity type, linked to the rim by a domain wall, appears when Ω is parallel to l.
Conclusions:
- Continuous rotation and subsequent cessation leave a persistent, oriented chiral texture in superfluid (3)He-A.
- Vortex energy inequivalence dictates the preferred chirality in the superfluid state.
- The orientation of orbital angular momentum significantly impacts vortex nucleation and emergent vorticity patterns.
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