Magnus-Driven Hall Transport in a Smectic Vortex State
Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 126002 – Published 25 March, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/dm7v-jk3b
Abstract
We report the emergence of an anomalous Hall response induced by smectic vortex order in a layered superconductor. By tuning the in-plane magnetic field and temperature, we uncover a distinct transport regime in which the longitudinal resistance remains low, whereas the transverse resistance becomes finite and even exceeds it—a definitive hallmark of unconventional vortex dynamics. This behavior arises from Magnus-force-driven motion of smectic dislocation vortices generated via interlayer smectic kink excitations, directed along the applied current within a smectic vortex liquid crystal phase, where partial translational symmetry breaking enables anisotropic and coherent vortex flow. These results establish smectic vortex matter as a new class of quantum vortex phases with hydrodynamic and topological character. Our findings open pathways to controlling topological vortex transport in anisotropic superconductors and suggest that the intrinsic entanglement of smectic vortex arrays may provide a platform for vortex-based quantum information functionalities.
