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Title: Staircase pattern in a superfluid He-II torsional-oscillator analog of the radio-frequency SQUID

Journal Article · · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States)
 [1]; ; ;  [2]
  1. Centro di Fisica degli Stati Aggregati del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-Istituto Trentino di Cultura, I-38050 Povo, Trento (Italy)
  2. Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita degli Studi di Trento, I-38050 Povo, Trento (Italy) Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Gruppo Collegato di Trento, Sezione di Padova, I-38050, Povo, Trento (Italy)

We are developing a superfluid [sup 4]He analog of the rf SQUID. A thin partition with a micrometric orifice is placed inside a toroidal container filled with liquid helium; ac and dc superflows through the orifice are induced by rotating the whole torus, which is the inertial member of a torsional oscillator. The torus oscillation amplitude vs drive curve shows a small but reproducible staircase pattern, which is detectable between 1.4 and 2.05 K, but is not modulated by a superimposed steady rotation. We discuss this behavior in terms of the occurrence of multiple phase slips.

OSTI ID:
5425569
Journal Information:
Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States), Vol. 49:2; ISSN 0163-1829
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English