Vortex dynamics in superfluids governed by an interacting gauge theory

TL;DR

This paper investigates vortex dynamics in a quasi-2D Bose gas influenced by an interacting gauge theory, revealing back-action effects and forces analogous to those in superfluid scattering phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces a Lagrangian framework to analyze vortex forces in a gauge-theoretic superfluid with density-dependent gauge potentials, highlighting novel back-action effects.

Findings

Derived an expression for vortex force considering gauge interactions.

Identified similarities with Iordanskii, Lifshitz, and Pitaevskii scattering forces.

Showed gauge potential back-action influences vortex behavior.

Abstract

We study the dynamics of a vortex in a quasi two-dimensional Bose gas consisting of light matter coupled atoms forming two-component pseudo spins. The gas is subject to a density dependent gauge potential, hence governed by an interacting gauge theory, which stems from a collisionally induced detuning between the incident laser frequency and the atomic energy levels. This provides a back-action between the synthetic gauge potential and the matter field. A Lagrangian approach is used to derive an expression for the force acting on a vortex in such a gas. We discuss the similarities between this force and the one predicted by Iordanskii, Lifshitz and Pitaevskii when scattering between a superfluid vortex and the thermal component is taken into account.