Evidence of superfluidity in a dipolar supersolid from non-classical rotational inertia

TL;DR

This paper provides direct evidence of superfluidity in a dipolar supersolid by demonstrating a reduced moment of inertia, confirming superfluid behavior in a phase where it coexists with a lattice structure.

Contribution

It experimentally shows superfluidity in a dipolar supersolid through rotational inertia measurements, a key signature of superfluid behavior.

Findings

Reduced moment of inertia observed in dipolar supersolid

Superfluid fraction inferred to be close to unity

Evidence of superfluidity coexisting with crystalline order

Abstract

A key manifestation of superfluidity in liquids and gases is a reduction of the moment of inertia under slow rotations. Non-classical rotational effects have been searched for a long time also for the elusive supersolid phase of matter, in which superfluidity coexists with a lattice structure. Here we show that the recently discovered supersolid phase in dipolar quantum gases features a reduced moment of inertia. We study a peculiar rotational oscillation mode in a harmonic potential, the scissors mode, already employed for superfluids. From the measured moment of inertia, we infer a superfluid fraction that is different from zero and of order of unity, providing direct evidence of the superfluid nature of the dipolar supersolid.