Correlations beyond the horizon

TL;DR

This paper reports the imaging of spontaneous vortex arrays in a superconductor quenched rapidly, revealing unexpected long-range correlations that challenge existing phase transition models.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental observation of long-range correlations in vortex arrays, extending beyond current theoretical predictions.

Findings

Imaged vortex arrays formed during rapid quenching.

Discovered unexpected long-range correlations.

Results challenge existing phase transition models.

Abstract

We have imaged spontaneously created arrays of vortices (magnetic flux quanta), generated in a superconducting film quenched through its transition temperature at rates around $10^9 K/s$. Spontaneous appearance of vortices is predicted by Kibble-Zurek and by Hindmarsh-Rajantie models of phase transitions under non-equilibrium conditions. Differentiating between these models requires a measurement of the internal correlations within the emerging vortex array. In addition to short range correlations predicted by Kibble and Zurek, we found unexpected long range correlations which are not described by any of the existing models.