Heating a dipolar quantum fluid into a solid

TL;DR

This paper explores how heating dipolar quantum fluids can induce a transition from a superfluid to a supersolid phase, revealing unexpected thermodynamic behavior confirmed by experiments with ultracold dysprosium atoms.

Contribution

It demonstrates that increasing temperature in dipolar quantum fluids can lead to a supersolid phase, challenging conventional understanding of phase transitions.

Findings

Heating induces superfluid to supersolid transition

Experimental validation with ultracold dysprosium atoms

Reveals unique thermodynamics of dipolar quantum fluids

Abstract

Raising the temperature of a material enhances the thermal motion of particles. Such an increase in thermal energy commonly leads to the melting of a solid into a fluid and eventually vaporises the liquid into a gaseous phase of matter. Here, we study the finite-temperature physics of dipolar quantum fluids and find surprising deviations from this general phenomenology. In particular, we describe how heating a dipolar superfluid from near-zero temperatures can induce a phase transition to a supersolid state with a broken translational symmetry. The predicted effect agrees with experimental measurements on ultracold dysprosium atoms, which opens the door for exploring the unusual thermodynamics of dipolar quantum fluids.