Interferometric measurement of the current-phase relationship of a superfluid weak link

TL;DR

This paper introduces an interferometric technique to measure the current-phase relationship in superfluid weak links, enabling detailed study of quantum transport properties in Bose-Einstein condensates and other phase-coherent systems.

Contribution

The authors develop a novel interferometric method to directly measure the current-phase relationship in superfluid weak links, applicable across various quantum gases and link types.

Findings

Successfully measured phase gradients in a ring-shaped BEC with a weak link

Demonstrated the technique's potential to extend to different weak link types

Provided insights into quantum transport phenomena in superfluids

Abstract

Weak connections between superconductors or superfluids can differ from classical links due to quantum coherence, which allows flow without resistance. Transport properties through such weak links can be described with a single function, the current-phase relationship, which serves as the quantum analog of the current-voltage relationship. Here, we present a technique for inteferometrically measuring the current-phase relationship of superfluid weak links. We interferometrically measure the phase gradient around a ring-shaped superfluid Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) containing a rotating weak link, allowing us to identify the current flowing around the ring. While our BEC weak link operates in the hydrodynamic regime, this technique can be extended to all types of weak links (including tunnel junctions) in any phase-coherent quantum gas. Moreover, it can also measure the current-phase relationships of excitations. Such measurements may open new avenues of research in quantum transport.