Descripción del proyecto
Un estudio se propone revelar el mecanismo que subyace a los vórtices en la materia cuántica
En la materia cuántica, los vórtices son excitaciones topológicas caracterizadas por la circulación cuantificada del campo de velocidad. A menudo se modelizan como agujeros en forma de embudo alrededor de los cuales el fluido cuántico muestra un flujo arremolinado. Desde esta perspectiva, los núcleos de los vórtices no son más que regiones vacías. Esta visión simple ha sido cuestionada recientemente y ahora se acepta que en muchos sistemas reales los núcleos de los vórtices no están tan vacíos; el agujero en el superfluido se llena de partículas que «visten» los vórtices y les proporcionan una masa de inercia efectiva. El objetivo del proyecto Vortexons, financiado por las Acciones Marie Skłodowska-Curie, es proporcionar una descripción completa de la física que subyace a los vórtices cuánticos con núcleos masivos. Los resultados del proyecto sentarán las bases para el desarrollo de nuevos superconductores de alto rendimiento.
Objetivo
In quantum matter, vortices are topological excitations characterized by quantized circulation of the velocity field. They can be found in contexts as diverse as superconductors, Bose-Einstein condensates, laser beams, and even in the recently detected gravitational waves emitted during the merging of two spinning black holes.
Quantum vortices are often modelled as funnel-like holes around which the quantum fluid exhibits a swirling flow. In this perspective, vortex cores are nothing more than empty regions where the superfluid density goes to zero, and their motion is governed by first-order differential equations. In the last few years, this simple view has been challenged and it is now increasingly clear that, in many real systems, vortex cores are not that empty. In these cases, the hole in the superfluid is filled by particles or excitations which dress the vortices and provide them with an effective inertial mass.
This feature opens the door to exciting new scenarios where inertial effects compete with the usual inter-vortex interactions. In this way, well-established results about vortex dynamics, binding-unbinding phase transitions, and robustness of superfluidity are challenged. The project “Vortexons” will provide a complete description of the physics disclosed by quantum vortices with massive cores, addressing these crucial open issues from both the theoretical and the experimental sides. The resulting theory aims to be not only the gold standard in all those phenomena where quantum matter features massive topological excitations, but also the necessary foundation for the development of new high-performance superconductors. In this perspective, our theory will thus possibly be the seed of major breakthroughs having a disruptive impact on society, economy, and environmental policies, such as higher-resolution magnetic resonance scanners, low-power microprocessors, and high-speed transportation.
Ámbito científico
Programa(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Régimen de financiación
HORIZON-AG-UN - HORIZON Unit GrantCoordinador
08034 Barcelona
España