Fluctuation-Driven Vortex Fractionalization in Topologically Ordered Superfluids of Cold Atoms

TL;DR

This paper investigates the emergence of fractionalized vortices and topological spin order in 2D nematic superfluids of cold atoms, revealing new topological phenomena driven by fluctuations and their experimental signatures.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of fluctuation-driven vortex fractionalization and topological order in cold atom superfluids, supported by Monte Carlo simulations and theoretical estimates.

Findings

Identification of softened pi-spin disclination structures in vortices

Discovery of non-local topological spin order below critical temperature

Estimation of fluctuation-dependent critical frequencies for vortex nucleation

Abstract

We have studied spin structures of fluctuation-driven fractionalized vortices and topological spin order in 2D nematic superfluids of cold sodium atoms. Our Monte Carlo simulations suggest a softened pi-spin disclination structure in a half-quantum vortex when spin correlations are short ranged; in addition, calculations indicate that a unique non-local topological spin order emerges simultaneously as cold atoms become a superfluid below a critical temperature. We have also estimated fluctuation-dependent critical frequencies for half-quantum vortex nucleation in rotating optical traps and discussed probing these excitations in experiments.