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Chiral Domain Structure in Superfluid He3A Studied by Magnetic Resonance Imaging

J. Kasai, Y. Okamoto, K. Nishioka, T. Takagi, and Y. Sasaki
Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 205301 – Published 17 May 2018
Physics logo See Synopsis: Imaging Domains in Superfluid Helium
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Abstract

The existence of a spatially varying texture in superfluid He3 is a direct manifestation of the complex macroscopic wave function. The real space shape of the texture, namely, a macroscopic wave function, has been studied extensively with the help of theoretical modeling but has never been directly observed experimentally with spatial resolution. We have succeeded in visualizing the texture by a specialized magnetic resonance imaging. With this new technology, we have discovered that the macroscopic chiral domains, of which sizes are as large as 1 mm, and corresponding chiral domain walls exist rather stably in He3A film at temperatures far below the transition temperature.

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  • Received 18 September 2017
  • Revised 5 December 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.205301

© 2018 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Synopsis

Key Image

Imaging Domains in Superfluid Helium

Published 17 May 2018

An MRI imaging technique reveals a structure of chiral domains in a slab of superfluid helium-3.

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Authors & Affiliations

J. Kasai1, Y. Okamoto1, K. Nishioka1, T. Takagi3, and Y. Sasaki1,2,*

  • 1Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-Cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
  • 2Research Center for Low Temperature and Materials Sciences, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
  • 3Department of Applied Physics, University of Fukui, Bunkyo 3-9-1, Fukui 910-8507, Japan

  • *sasaki@scphys.kyoto-u.ac.jp

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Issue

Vol. 120, Iss. 20 — 18 May 2018

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