Autti S, Dmitriev V V, Mäkinen J T, Soldatov A A, Volovik G E, Yudin A N, Zavjalov V V, Eltsov V B
Low Temperature Laboratory, Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, P.O. Box 15100, FI-00076 AALTO, Finland.
P. L. Kapitza Institute for Physical Problems of RAS, 119334 Moscow, Russia.
Phys Rev Lett. 2016 Dec 16;117(25):255301. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.255301. Epub 2016 Dec 14.
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.
拓扑量子物质系统中最受追捧的对象之一是携带半量子环流的涡旋。它们最初被预测存在于超流³He-A中，但从未在那里被分辨出来。在此，我们报告了在超流³He的极性相中对半量子涡旋（HQV）的观测。这些涡旋通过旋转或基布尔-祖雷克机制产生，并根据它们的核磁共振特征进行识别。这一发现为研究在极性扭曲A相中与HQV核心束缚的未配对马约拉纳模式提供了一条途径。
