Physicists observe quantum instability that resembles Van Gogh's Starry Night
Physicists at Osaka Metropolitan University and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have, for the first time, observed the quantum Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) and, according to them, the exotic vortex patterns it produces bear a striking resemblance to the moon in Vincent van Gogh’s masterpiece Starry Night.
KHI is a classic phenomenon in fluid dynamics, when fluids moving at different speeds form waves and vortices. The physicists have now successfully shown that KHI also happens in quantum fluids, Hiromitsu Takeuchi, an associate professor at Osaka Metropolitan University and one of the lead authors for the study, said in Phys.org.
The scientists cooled lithium to near absolute zero, creating a quantum superfluid with two streams flowing at different speeds. Where the streams crossed paths, a wavy fingering pattern emerged like in classical turbulence, but then vortices also appeared. These vortices turned out to be newly discovered eccentric fractional skyrmions (EFSs).
"Skyrmions are usually symmetrical and centered," Takeuchi said to the science magazine. "But EFSs have a crescent-like shape and contain embedded singularities—points where the usual spin structure breaks down, creating sharp distortions. To me, the large crescent moon in the upper right corner of 'The Starry Night' looks exactly like an EFS."
Skyrmions were first discovered in magnetic materials. They are small and stable and are increasingly used in spintronics and memory devices. According to Takeuchi, their discovery of a new type of skyrmion could have implications for applied technologies and the understanding of quantum systems.
