Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 3, 2026

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
Published on: December 4, 2017
Superfluid stiffness of a driven dissipative condensate with disorder
Alexander Janot1, Timo Hyart2, Paul R Eastham3
1Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Leipzig, 04009 Leipzig, Germany.
Abstract:
Observations of macroscopic quantum coherence in driven systems, e.g. polariton condensates, have strongly stimulated experimental as well as theoretical efforts during the last decade. We address the question of whether a driven quantum condensate is a superfluid, allowing for the effects of disorder and its nonequilibrium nature. We predict that for spatial dimensions d<4 the superfluid stiffness vanishes once the condensate exceeds a critical size, and treat in detail the case d=2. Thus a nonequilibrium condensate is not a superfluid in the thermodynamic limit, even for weak disorder, although superfluid behavior would persist in small systems.
Related Concept Videos
Newtonian Fluid: Problem Solving
A velocity gradient forms within the fluid when a Newtonian fluid is placed between two parallel plates, with...
Characteristics of Fluids
Characteristics of Fluids
Fluids, which include both liquids and gases, are substances that deform continuously under shearing stress. For example, water and oil are liquids with molecules that can...
Types of Fluids
In contrast, non-Newtonian fluids do not follow Newton's law of viscosity, and...
Viscosity of Fluid
Dimensionless Groups in Fluid Mechanics

