Description du projet
Une étude vise à révéler le mécanisme sous-jacent des tourbillons dans la matière quantique
Dans la matière quantique, les tourbillons sont des excitations topologiques caractérisées par une circulation quantifiée du champ de vitesse. Ils sont souvent modélisés comme des trous en forme d’entonnoir autour desquels le fluide quantique exhibe un flux tourbillonnant. Dans cette perspective, les noyaux de vortex ne sont rien de plus que des régions vides. Cette vision simple a récemment été remise en question et il est désormais admis que dans de nombreux systèmes concrets, les noyaux de vortex ne sont pas si vides que cela; le trou dans le superfluide est rempli de particules qui «habillent» les vortex et leur confèrent une masse inertielle effective. Financé par le programme Actions Marie Skłodowska-Curie, le projet Vortexons a pour ambition de fournir une description complète de la physique sous-jacente des vortex quantiques à noyau massif. Les résultats du projet jetteront les bases du développement de nouveaux supraconducteurs à haute performance.
Objectif
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.
Champ scientifique
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Régime de financement
HORIZON-AG-UN - HORIZON Unit GrantCoordinateur
08034 Barcelona
Espagne