Borromean supercounterfluidity

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of a novel superfluid state in a three-component Bose mixture, where counterflows are dissipationless but coflows are halted, revealing unique superfluid dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of Borromean supercounterfluidity, a new superfluid phase with unique counterflow properties in a three-component Bose system.

Findings

Counterflows between any two components are dissipationless.

Co-flow of all three components is arrested.

Three types of counterflows exist with only two superfluid degrees of freedom.

Abstract

We demonstrate microscopically the existence of a new superfluid state of matter in a three-component Bose mixture trapped in an optical lattice. The superfluid transport involving coflow of all three components is arrested in that state, while counterflows between any pair of components are dissipationless. The presence of three components allows for three different types of counterflows with only two independent superfluid degrees of freedom.