An intrinsic velocity-independent criterion for superfluid turbulence

Hydrodynamic flow in classical and quantum fluids can be either laminar or turbulent. Vorticity in turbulent flow is often modelled with vortex filaments. While this represents an idealization in classical fluids, vortices are topologically stable quantized objects in superfluids. Superfluid turbulence is therefore thought to be important for the understanding of turbulence more generally. The fermionic 3He superfluids are attractive systems to study because their characteristics vary widely over the experimentally accessible temperature regime. Here we report nuclear magnetic resonance measurements and numerical simulations indicating the existence of sharp transition to turbulence in the B phase of superfluid 3He. Above 0.60T(c) (where T(c) is the transition temperature for superfluidity) the hydrodynamics are regular, while below this temperature we see turbulent behaviour. The transition is insensitive to the fluid velocity, in striking contrast to current textbook knowledge of turbulence. Rather, it is controlled by an intrinsic parameter of the superfluid: the mutual friction between the normal and superfluid components of the flow, which causes damping of the vortex motion.     

液氦超流转变温度复现性研究

利用液氦超流转变时超流氦（He Ⅱ）与正常氦（He Ⅰ）热导率突变的性质复现液氦超流转变温度T_λ。采用带毛细管结构的小型密封瓶,通过控温将微小热流通过小型密封瓶毛细管,实现毛细管中He Ⅰ/He Ⅱ两相共存,并使He Ⅰ/He Ⅱ界面停留在毛细管中,从而获得稳定、平坦的液氦超流转变温坪。利用毛细管热流对液氦超流转变温度的下压效应,得到不同热流的多个温坪,进一步利用外推法求得零热流下真实的T_λ值。24次液氦超流转变温度复现实验结果表明,标准偏差为0.022mK,证明了液氦超流转变温度具有良好的稳定性和复现性,推荐将液氦超流转变温度作为国际温标的固定点使用。     

Oscillatory motion: quantum whistling in superfluid helium-4

Fundamental considerations predict that macroscopic quantum systems such as superfluids and the electrons in superconductors will undergo oscillatory motion when forced through a small constriction. Here we induce these oscillations in superfluid helium-4 (4He) by pushing it through an array of nanometre-sized apertures. The oscillations, which are detected as an audible whistling sound, obey the so-called Josephson frequency relation and occur coherently among all the apertures. The discovery of this property in 4He at the relatively high temperature of 2 K (2,000 times higher than the temperature at which a related but different phenomenon occurs in 3He) may pave the way for a new class of practical rotation sensors of unprecedented precision.     

Phase diagram of a two-component Fermi gas with resonant interactions

The pairing of fermions lies at the heart of superconductivity and superfluidity. The stability of these pairs determines the robustness of the superfluid state, and the quest for superconductors with high critical temperature equates to a search for systems with strong pairing mechanisms. Ultracold atomic Fermi gases present a highly controllable model system for studying strongly interacting fermions. Tunable interactions (through Feshbach collisional resonances) and the control of population or mass imbalance among the spin components provide unique opportunities to investigate the stability of pairing-and possibly to search for exotic forms of superfluidity. A major controversy has surrounded the stability of superfluidity against an imbalance between the two spin components when the fermions interact resonantly (that is, at unitarity). Here we present the phase diagram of a spin-polarized Fermi gas of (6)Li atoms at unitarity, experimentally mapping out the superfluid phases versus temperature and density imbalance. Using tomographic techniques, we reveal spatial discontinuities in the spin polarization; this is the signature of a first-order superfluid-to-normal phase transition, and disappears at a tricritical point where the nature of the phase transition changes from first-order to second-order. At zero temperature, there is a quantum phase transition from a fully paired superfluid to a partially polarized normal gas. These observations and the implementation of an in situ ideal gas thermometer provide quantitative tests of theoretical calculations on the stability of resonant superfluidity.     

Probable heat capacity signature of the supersolid transition

Liquid 4He enters the superfluid state and flows without friction below 2.176 K. Thin liquid films adsorbed on solid substrates undergo the same transformation, although at a lower temperature. When the substrate is subjected to oscillatory motion a portion of the film, known as the superfluid fraction, decouples from the oscillation. A similar phenomenon has been observed in solid 4He, in which a fraction of the solid seems to decouple from the motion of the surrounding lattice. Although this observation has been replicated in various laboratories, no thermodynamic signature of the possible supersolid transition has been seen. Here we report the finding of a heat capacity peak that coincides with the onset of mass decoupling. This complementary experimental evidence supports the existence of a genuine transition between the normal solid and supersolid phases of 4He.     

Minority spin condensate in the spin-polarized superfluid 3He A1 phase

The magnetic properties of (3)He in its various phases originate from the interactions among the nuclear spins. The spin-polarized 'ferromagnetic' superfluid (3)He A(1) phase (which forms below 3 mK between two transition temperatures, T(c1) and T(c2), in an external magnetic field) serves as a material in which theories of fundamental magnetic processes and macroscopic quantum spin phenomena may be tested. Conventionally, the superfluid component of the A(1) phase is understood to contain only the majority spin condensate, having energetically favoured paired spins directed along the external field and no minority spin condensate having paired spins in the opposite direction. Because of difficulties in satisfying both the ultralow temperature and high magnetic field required to produce a substantial phase space, there exist few studies of spin dynamics phenomena that could be used to test the conventional view of the A(1) phase. Here we develop a mechanical spin density detector that operates in the required regime, enabling us to perform measurements of spin relaxation in the A(1) phase as a function of temperature, pressure and magnetic field. Our mechanical spin detector is based in principle on the magnetic fountain effect; spin-polarized superfluid motion can be induced both magnetically and mechanically, and we demonstrate the feasibility of increasing spin polarization by a mechanical spin filtering process. In the high temperature range of the A(1) phase near T(c1), the measured spin relaxation time is long, as expected. Unexpectedly, the spin relaxation rate increases rapidly as the temperature is decreased towards T(c2). Our measurements, together with Leggett-Takagi theory, demonstrate that a minute presence of minority spin pairs is responsible for this unexpected spin relaxation behaviour. Thus, the long-held conventional view that the A(1) phase contains only the majority spin condensate is inadequate.     

Dynamic behavior of the He Ⅱ -He I phase transition under gravity

The phase transition of superfluid helium (He Ⅱ ) to normal fluid helium (He I ) is studied in this note. The He Ⅱ-He I interface is found to move upwards under finite heat current. The temperature tracks are measured by four high resolution temperature sensors (HRTs). And the shifting of the λ point temperature (phase transition temperature)along the cell is studied experimentally and theoretically.Under gravity, the shifting of the λ point temperature increases with the pressure. The experimental results agree well with the theoretical ones.``     

Dynamic behavior of the He II-He I phase transition under gravity

The phase transition of superfluid helium (He II) to normal fluid helium (He I) is studied in this note. The He II -He I interface is found to move upwards under finite heat current. The temperature tracks are measured by four high resolution temperature sensors (HRTs). And the shifting of the λ　point temperature (phase transition temperature) along the cell is studied experimentally and theoretically. Under gravity, the shifting of the λ point temperature in creases with the pressure. The experimental results agree well with the theoretical ones.     

Probable observation of a supersolid helium phase

When liquid (4)He is cooled below 2.176 K, it undergoes a phase transition-Bose-Einstein condensation-and becomes a superfluid with zero viscosity. Once in such a state, it can flow without dissipation even through pores of atomic dimensions. Although it is intuitive to associate superflow only with the liquid phase, it has been proposed theoretically that superflow can also occur in the solid phase of (4)He. Owing to quantum mechanical fluctuations, delocalized vacancies and defects are expected to be present in crystalline solid (4)He, even in the limit of zero temperature. These zero-point vacancies can in principle allow the appearance of superfluidity in the solid. However, in spite of many attempts, such a 'supersolid' phase has yet to be observed in bulk solid (4)He. Here we report torsional oscillator measurements on solid helium confined in a porous medium, a configuration that is likely to be more heavily populated with vacancies than bulk helium. We find an abrupt drop in the rotational inertia of the confined solid below a certain critical temperature. The most likely interpretation of the inertia drop is entry into the supersolid phase. If confirmed, our results show that all three states of matter-gas, liquid and solid-can undergo Bose-Einstein condensation.     

Coherent zero-state and pi-state in an exciton-polariton condensate array

The effect of quantum statistics in quantum gases and liquids results in observable collective properties among many-particle systems. One prime example is Bose-Einstein condensation, whose onset in a quantum liquid leads to phenomena such as superfluidity and superconductivity. A Bose-Einstein condensate is generally defined as a macroscopic occupation of a single-particle quantum state, a phenomenon technically referred to as off-diagonal long-range order due to non-vanishing off-diagonal components of the single-particle density matrix. The wavefunction of the condensate is an order parameter whose phase is essential in characterizing the coherence and superfluid phenomena. The long-range spatial coherence leads to the existence of phase-locked multiple condensates in an array of superfluid helium, superconducting Josephson junctions or atomic Bose-Einstein condensates. Under certain circumstances, a quantum phase difference of pi is predicted to develop among weakly coupled Josephson junctions. Such a meta-stable pi-state was discovered in a weak link of superfluid 3He, which is characterized by a 'p-wave' order parameter. The possible existence of such a pi-state in weakly coupled atomic Bose-Einstein condensates has also been proposed, but remains undiscovered. Here we report the observation of spontaneous build-up of in-phase ('zero-state') and antiphase ('pi-state') 'superfluid' states in a solid-state system; an array of exciton-polariton condensates connected by weak periodic potential barriers within a semiconductor microcavity. These in-phase and antiphase states reflect the band structure of the one-dimensional polariton array and the dynamic characteristics of metastable exciton-polariton condensates.     

Phase-slip-induced dissipation in an atomic Bose-Hubbard system

Phase-slips control dissipation in many bosonic systems, determining the critical velocity of superfluid helium and the generation of resistance in thin superconducting wires. Technological interest has been largely motivated by applications involving nanoscale superconducting circuit elements, such as standards based on quantum phase-slip junctions. Although phase slips caused by thermal fluctuations at high temperatures are well understood, controversy remains over the role of phase slips in small-scale superconductors--in solids, problems such as uncontrolled noise sources and disorder complicate their study and application. Here we show that phase slips can lead to dissipation in a clean and well-characterized Bose-Hubbard system, by experimentally studying the transport of ultracold atoms trapped in an optical lattice. In contrast to previous work, we explore a low-velocity regime described by the three-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model that is unaffected by instabilities, and we measure the effect of temperature on the dissipation strength. The damping rate of atomic motion (the analogue of electrical resistance in a solid) in the confining parabolic potential is well fitted by a model that includes finite damping at zero temperature. The low-temperature behaviour is consistent with the theory of quantum tunnelling of phase slips, whereas at higher temperatures a crossover consistent with a transition to thermal activation of phase slips is evident. Motion-induced features reminiscent of vortices and vortex rings associated with phase slips are also observed in time-of-flight imaging. These results clarify the role of phase slips in superfluid systems. They may also be of relevance in understanding the source of metallic phases observed in thin films, or serve as a test bed for theories of bosonic dissipation based upon variants of the Bose-Hubbard model.     

Performance of cryogenic regenerator with <Superscript>3</Superscript>He as working fluid

Almost all experimental and theoretical studies on regenerative cryocoolers at temperatures below 20 K mention the use of 4He as working fluid.A preliminary qualitative evaluation indicates that because of the superfluid phase transition,a working fluid of 3 He would overcome the cooling temperature limitation set by 4He.Starting with a comparison of the thermophysical properties of 3He and 4He,cryogenic regenerator simulations applied to the third/last stage of a pulse tube refrigerator,with 3He and 4He separately,were implemented to quantitatively analyze performance differences of the regenerator with respect to regenerator loss, cooling power and COP.Results conclude that 3He could significantly improve the performance of a regenerative cryocooler.     

水平圆管内油气两相流分层流向段塞流转变机理的实验研究

根据气液两相流一维波模型建立分层流向段塞流转变的判别准则,对水平管内气液两相流出现段塞流时的各相临界表观速度进行了理论预测,并对流型转变进行了分析.理论计算中,主要考虑了两相流体和管壁之间的摩擦和气液相界面之间的摩擦对流型转变的影响,并结合分层流理想化模型分析了发生流型转变时的临界参数.在内径分别为40 mm和50 mm的水平管道油气两相流实验系统中进行了流型转变实验,所获实验数据处理结果与理论计算结果进行了对比.对影响流型的管径、流速等因素的分析结果表明,该模型较好地预测管内分层流向段塞流的转变.     

微观相互作用玻色子模型中热166,168,170Er核比热容及其相变的数值研究

应用微观相互作用玻色子模型，制备了偶166，168，170Er同位素的零温能谱，其值与最新的实验结果符合得比较好；采用正则系综理论，计算出核的有限温度比热容，基地比热峰是相变信号和对序参量的分析，有可能统一描述核发生的热激发模式相变，核形状相变和从超流相到正常相相变。     

透平叶片双工质冷却流量和流向的优化配置

采用SST转捩模型求解了三维定常雷诺时均Navier-Stokes方程,对具有多个光滑内冷通道的试验叶片进行了气热耦合的数值计算,同时研究了蒸汽、空气冷却工质的流量大小和流向分配对叶片表面温度分布和冷却效率的影响.结果表明:SST转捩湍流模型能够较好地预测叶栅内的传热特性;增加冷却工质的流量,叶片温度明显降低且表面温度分布更加均匀,当冷却工质流量比从0.018 74提高到0.093 71时最大温差下降了约30 K,叶片表面的平均冷却效率最大可提升17％,叶片达到最大冷却效果的冷却流量比的最佳值为0.074 97;改变叶片的第2、第4通道的冷却工质流向,可以改善叶片中弦区域沿展向的温度梯度,第5通道采用双向进气的配置方案可以很好地降低叶片尾缘区域的温度梯度,从而改善叶片整体温度的分布.     

Strong dipolar effects in a quantum ferrofluid

Symmetry-breaking interactions have a crucial role in many areas of physics, ranging from classical ferrofluids to superfluid (3)He and d-wave superconductivity. For superfluid quantum gases, a variety of new physical phenomena arising from the symmetry-breaking interaction between electric or magnetic dipoles are expected. Novel quantum phases in optical lattices, such as chequerboard or supersolid phases, are predicted for dipolar bosons. Dipolar interactions can also enrich considerably the physics of quantum gases with internal degrees of freedom. Arrays of dipolar particles could be used for efficient quantum information processing. Here we report the realization of a chromium Bose-Einstein condensate with strong dipolar interactions. By using a Feshbach resonance, we reduce the usual isotropic contact interaction, such that the anisotropic magnetic dipole-dipole interaction between 52Cr atoms becomes comparable in strength. This induces a change of the aspect ratio of the atom cloud; for strong dipolar interactions, the inversion of ellipticity during expansion (the usual 'smoking gun' evidence for a Bose-Einstein condensate) can be suppressed. These effects are accounted for by taking into account the dipolar interaction in the superfluid hydrodynamic equations governing the dynamics of the gas, in the same way as classical ferrofluids can be described by including dipolar terms in the classical hydrodynamic equations. Our results are a first step in the exploration of the unique properties of quantum ferrofluids.     

三相鼓泡塔反应器液体流速分布的实验研究

采用示踪剂电子电极法对气-液-固三相鼓泡塔局部液体流速的测试结果表明，塔中心处的局部液速最大，近塔壁处最小，随表观气速增大，初始流体流动处于由均匀流型向过渡流型的转变；当表观气速继续增大，平均液速则明显增加，轴向液速的径向分布呈线性关系，表明流体的流动进入非均匀流型；三种不同结构的气体分布器对反应器中心线处轴向流速影响的实验表明，环状气体分布器的反应器底部存在一个狭小的回流区。     

水平管内油—气—水三相流流型的研究

在较为宽广的实验参数范围内,对水平管内油－气－水三相流动的流型及其转变规律进行了实验和理论研究,分析了各种流型间的转变机理,并根据实验数据建立了水平管内的油－气－水三相流型间的转变关系式和流型图,结果表明：随着含水率的减小,在相同液速下,不同流型的转变均有提前的趋势,即转变所需的气速小;含水率对不同流型转变界限的影响程度有所不同,这主要是由于三相混合物的物性对流型的影响。     

Quantum phase transition from a superfluid to a Mott insulator in a gas of ultracold atoms.

For a system at a temperature of absolute zero, all thermal fluctuations are frozen out, while quantum fluctuations prevail. These microscopic quantum fluctuations can induce a macroscopic phase transition in the ground state of a many-body system when the relative strength of two competing energy terms is varied across a critical value. Here we observe such a quantum phase transition in a Bose-Einstein condensate with repulsive interactions, held in a three-dimensional optical lattice potential. As the potential depth of the lattice is increased, a transition is observed from a superfluid to a Mott insulator phase. In the superfluid phase, each atom is spread out over the entire lattice, with long-range phase coherence. But in the insulating phase, exact numbers of atoms are localized at individual lattice sites, with no phase coherence across the lattice; this phase is characterized by a gap in the excitation spectrum. We can induce reversible changes between the two ground states of the system.     

Universal spin transport in a strongly interacting Fermi gas

Transport of fermions, particles with half-integer spin, is central to many fields of physics. Electron transport runs modern technology, defining states of matter such as superconductors and insulators, and electron spin is being explored as a new carrier of information. Neutrino transport energizes supernova explosions following the collapse of a dying star, and hydrodynamic transport of the quark-gluon plasma governed the expansion of the early Universe. However, our understanding of non-equilibrium dynamics in such strongly interacting fermionic matter is still limited. Ultracold gases of fermionic atoms realize a pristine model for such systems and can be studied in real time with the precision of atomic physics. Even above the superfluid transition, such gases flow as an almost perfect fluid with very low viscosity when interactions are tuned to a scattering resonance. In this hydrodynamic regime, collective density excitations are weakly damped. Here we experimentally investigate spin excitations in a Fermi gas of (6)Li atoms, finding that, in contrast, they are maximally damped. A spin current is induced by spatially separating two spin components and observing their evolution in an external trapping potential. We demonstrate that interactions can be strong enough to reverse spin currents, with components of opposite spin reflecting off each other. Near equilibrium, we obtain the spin drag coefficient, the spin diffusivity and the spin susceptibility as a function of temperature on resonance and show that they obey universal laws at high temperatures. In the degenerate regime, the spin diffusivity approaches a value set by [planck]/m, the quantum limit of diffusion, where [planck]/m is Planck's constant divided by 2π and m the atomic mass. For repulsive interactions, our measurements seem to exclude a metastable ferromagnetic state.