Noncommuting Flux Sectors in a Tabletop Experiment

TL;DR

This paper proposes a tabletop experimental setup using superconductors and Josephson junctions to investigate the ground states of the free electromagnetic field in complex 3D manifolds with torsion in their cohomology.

Contribution

It introduces a novel experimental platform for studying electromagnetic ground states in topologically nontrivial 3-manifolds.

Findings

Demonstrates feasibility of the setup

Identifies specific ground state configurations

Provides insights into topological electromagnetic phenomena

Abstract

We show how one can use superconductors and Josephson junctions to create a laboratory system which can explore the groundstates of the free electromagnetic field in a 3-manifold with torsion in its cohomology.