Evidence for quantum tunneling of phase-slip vortices in superfluid sup 4 He

Journal Article · Mon Jul 13 04:00:00 EDT 1992 · Physical Review Letters; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.69.323· OSTI ID:7105245

Davis, J C; Steinhauer, J; Schwab, K; Mukharsky, Y M; Amar, A; Sasaki, Y; Packard, R E ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

We have observed that at temperatures below 200 mK quantized vortices are created by a new process which is not described by the thermal activation theory of vortex nucleation. The critical flow velocity in a submicron orifice has been determined using two techniques. Down to about 200 mK the critical velocities rise linearly with falling temperature. Below this temperature the critical velocity stops rising and becomes almost temperature independent, indicating that a new process, possible quantum tunneling, dominates the phase-slip nucleation.

• OSTI ID: 7105245
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review Letters; (United States) Vol. 69:2; ISSN PRLTA; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

665420* -- Superfluidity-- (1992-)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CRITICAL FLOW
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
HELIUM 4
HELIUM II
HELIUM ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEATION
NUCLEI
OPENINGS
ORIFICES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
QUANTIZATION
QUANTUM FLUIDS
STABLE ISOTOPES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TUNNELING
VELOCITY
VORTICES