Quantum signatures of charge flipping vortices in the Bose-Hubbard trimer

In this work we study quantum signatures of charge flipping vortices, found in the classical discrete nonlinear Schrödinger trimer, by use of the Bose-Hubbard model. We are able to identify such signatures in the quantum energy eigenstates, for instance when comparing the site amplitudes of the classical charge flipping vortices with the probability distribution over different particle configurations. It is also discussed how to construct quantum states that correspond to the classical charge flipping vortices and which effects can lead to deviations between the classical and quantum dynamics. We also examine properties of certain coherent states: classical-like quantum states that can be used to derive the classical model. Several quantum signatures are identified when studying the dynamics of these coherent states, for example, when comparing the average number of particles on a site with the classical site amplitude, when comparing the quantum and classical currents and topological charge, and when studying the evolution of the quantum probability amplitudes. The flipping of the quantum currents are found to be an especially robust feature of these states.