The Vortexons project has significantly advanced our understanding of quantum vortex dynamics, particularly in systems where vortices acquire an inertial mass. Combining theory, numerical simulations, and analytical techniques, the project uncovered novel massive vortex behaviors, expanding knowledge in quantum fluids and emerging quantum technologies. Below is a summary of key achievements.
1. Theoretical and Numerical Investigation of Massive Vortex Dynamics
In May 2023, a study on ghost vortices in two-component BECs [Phys. Rev. Res. 5, 023109 (2023)] demonstrated that dual vortex necklaces emerge naturally in Bose-Bose mixtures when massive-vortex necklaces are present, with a proposed experimental protocol for their detection.
The impact of vortex core mass was further explored in August 2023 via a point-vortex model that incorporated the relative motion between vortices and their cores [Eur. Phys. J. Plus 138, 676 (2023)]. This study, benchmarked against Gross-Pitaevskii simulations, revealed that allowing for internal degrees of freedom leads to a more realistic vortex dynamics model.
2. Emergence of Novel Dynamical Phenomena in Massive Vortex Systems
The project also explored mass-driven dynamical effects. In August 2023, a study on massive vortices in a planar annulus [SciPost Phys. 15, 057 (2023)] demonstrated radial oscillations superimposed on precession, with a plasma orbit analogy providing analytical predictions.
In August 2024, this work was extended to explain the stabilization of vortex necklaces observed by LENS (Florence) [SciPost Phys. 17, 076 (2024)], identifying mass, dissipation, and system boundaries as key stabilizing factors. Additionally, the vortex dynamics on curved domains was addressed using conformal mapping techniques, leading to a full theoretical treatment published in [SciPost Phys. 17, 039 (2024)] in collaboration with Stanford University.
3. Discovery of a Massive-Vortex Bosonic Josephson Junction
A breakthrough in November 2024 was the first realization of a Bosonic Josephson Junction (BJJ) using two rotating massive vortices in a two-component BEC [Phys. Rev. Res. 6, 043197 (2024)]. This study revealed Josephson-like tunneling, stable oscillations, and macroscopic quantum self-trapping, bridging vortex physics and atomic quantum transport, with potential for atomtronic circuits.
4. Dynamical Signature of Vortex Mass in Fermi Superfluids
In October 2024, a preprint [arXiv:2410.12417] in collaboration with Warsaw University provided the first numerical confirmation of vortex mass effects in Fermi superfluids. Using large-scale time-dependent simulations, our study showed that vortices in Fermi superfluids are intrinsically massive, and hence exhibit transverse oscillations, providing a directly observable experimental signature of inertial effects in quantum vortices.
