A novel type of spiral wave with trapped ions

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of a new type of spiral wave in a 2D trapped ion system, characterized by a rigid rotation and an anti-phase core, expanding understanding of pattern formation in quantum systems.

Contribution

It introduces a novel spiral wave with a unique core structure in trapped ions, linked to a new form of excitability, and explores its breakup and disappearance scenarios.

Findings

Discovery of a rigidly rotating spiral wave with an anti-phase core

Identification of a novel excitability mechanism in trapped ions

Observation of spiral wave breakup and core expansion phenomena

Abstract

Pattern formation in ultra-cold quantum systems has recently received a great deal of attention.In this work, we investigate a two-dimensional model system accounting for the dynamics of trapped ions. We find a novel spiral wave which is rigidly rotating but with a peculiar core region in which adjacent ions oscillate in anti-phase. The formation of this novel spiral wave is ascribed to the novel excitability reported by Lee and Cross. The breakup of the novel spiral wave is probed and, especially, one extraordinary scenario of the disappearance of spiral wave caused by spontaneous expansion of the anti-phased core is unveiled.