- Letter
Capture and release of quantum vortices using mechanical devices in low-temperature superfluids
Phys. Rev. B 111, L100504 – Published 17 March, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.111.L100504
Abstract
We show that the Gross-Pitaevskii equation coupled with the wave equation for a wire (GP-W) provides a natural theoretical framework for understanding recent experiments employing a nanowire to detect a single quantum vortex in superfluid . We uncover the complete spatiotemporal evolution of such wire-based vortex detection via direct numerical simulations of the GP-W system. Furthermore, by computing the spatiotemporal spectrum, we obtain the vortex-capture-induced change in the oscillation frequency of the wire. We quantify this frequency shift by plotting the wire's oscillation frequency versus time and obtain results that closely match experimental observations. In addition, we provide analytical support for our numerical results by deriving the dispersion relation for the oscillating wire, with and without a trapped vortex. We show that the Magnus force opens a gap in the wire dispersion relation. The size of the gap becomes the characteristic frequency of the wire when a vortex is trapped.
