Physicists at our university have succeeded in setting a supersolid quantum gas into rotation. In the process, they observed an intriguing phenomenon: when quantum vortices appeared, the motions of the crystalline structures became synchronized.
Similar vortex dynamics may also play a role in the behavior of neutron stars. ✨
Learn more in our news article or read the paper in #NaturePhysics:
🆕 https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/newsroom/2025/supersolid-spins-into-synchrony/
Supersolid spins into synchrony
Supersolids, a state of matter that combines the rigidity of a solid with the frictionless flow of a superfluid, exhibit surprising synchronization when rotated. Innsbruck researchers found that quantum vortices—tiny whirlpools in the quantum fluid— cause the precession and revolution of the superfluid crystal structure to synchronize their motion. This discovery provides a new tool for studying fundamental properties of quantum systems.
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