English

Half - Quantum Vortices

Superconductivity 2015-06-15 v2

Abstract

Unlike to superfluid 4^4He the superfluid 3^3He-A support the existence of vortices with half quantum of circulation as well as single quantum vortices. The singular single quanta vortices as well as nonsingular vortices with 2 quanta of circulation have been revealed in rotating 3^3He-A. However, the half quantum vortices in open geometry always possess an extra energy due to spin-orbit coupling leading to formation of domain wall at distances larger than dipole length 103cm\sim 10^{-3}cm from the vortex axis. Fortunately the same magnetic dipole-dipole interaction does not prevent the existence of half-quantum vortices in the polar phase of superfluid 3^3He recently discovered in peculiar porous media "nematically ordered" aerogel. Here we discuss this exotic possibility. The discoveries of half-quantum vortices in triplet pairing superconductor Sr2_2RuO4_4 as well in the exciton-polariton condensates are the other parts of the story about half-quantum vortices also described in the paper.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1303.2002,
  title  = {Half - Quantum Vortices},
  author = {V. P. Mineev},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1303.2002},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

6 pages, no figures

R2 v1 2026-06-21T23:38:50.930Z