Quantized vortices in superfluid /sup 3/He

Journal Article · Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987 · Rev. Mod. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.59.533· OSTI ID:6265811

Salomaa, M M; Volovik, G E

The first measurements on vortices in rotating superfluid /sup 3/He have been conducted in the Low Temperature Laboratory at Helsinki University of Technology during the past five years. These experiments have revealed unique vortex phenomena that are not observed in any other known superfluids. In this review, the concept of broken symmetry is applied to investigate the quantized vortex lines in superfluid /sup 3/He. In the superfluid A phase, vorticity can be supported by a continuous winding of the order parameter; this gives rise to continuous ''coreless'' vortices with two flow quanta. Novel vortices with a half-integer number of circulation quanta may also exist in /sup 3/He-A due to a combined symmetry of the superfluid state. In the superfluid B phase, the vortices have a complicated core structure. The vortex-core matter is ferromagnetic and superfluid, and it displays broken parity. The ferromagnetism of the core is observed in NMR experiments due to a gyromagnetic effect. The calculated core structures exhibit an experimentally observed first-order phase transition. This vortex-core transition in rotating /sup 3/He-B may be understood in terms of a change in the topology for flaring-out of the vortex singularity into higher dimensions; the topological identification further suggests that the phase transition manifests a spontaneous bifurcation of vorticity: involving half-quantum vortices in /sup 3/He-B. These recent advances of interest in quantum liquids are also of general relevance to a wide range of fields beyond low-temperature physics.

• Research Organization: Low Temperature Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology, SF-02150 Espoo 15, Finland
• OSTI ID: 6265811
• Journal Information: Rev. Mod. Phys.; (United States), Vol. 59:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
HELIUM 3 A
VORTICES
HELIUM 3 B
ANISOTROPY
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE
ORDER PARAMETERS
QUANTIZATION
REVIEWS
ROTATION
SINGULARITY
SPIN WAVES
SYMMETRY BREAKING
TOPOLOGY
DOCUMENT TYPES
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HELIUM 3
HELIUM ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MAGNETIC RESONANCE
MATHEMATICS
MOTION
NUCLEI
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RESONANCE
STABLE ISOTOPES
640450* - Fluid Physics- Superfluidity