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Observation of Half-Quantum Vortices in Topological Superfluid ^{3}He
S Autti1, V V Dmitriev2, J T Mäkinen1
1Low Temperature Laboratory, Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, P.O. Box 15100, FI-00076 AALTO, Finland.
Abstract:
One of the most sought-after objects in topological quantum-matter systems is a vortex carrying half a quantum of circulation. They were originally predicted to exist in superfluid ^{3}He-A but have never been resolved there. Here we report an observation of half-quantum vortices (HQVs) in the polar phase of superfluid ^{3}He. The vortices are created with rotation or by the Kibble-Zurek mechanism and identified based on their nuclear magnetic resonance signature. This discovery provides a pathway for studies of unpaired Majorana modes bound to the HQV cores in the polar-distorted A phase.
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