Superfluid Edge Dislocation: Transverse Quantum Fluid

TL;DR

This paper proposes a new class of stable, long-range ordered quasi-one-dimensional superfluid states along edge dislocations in solid helium-4, explaining unusual superflow phenomena through quantum phase slips and infinite compressibility.

Contribution

It introduces a novel theoretical framework for superfluid edge dislocations as quantum liquids with infinite compressibility, expanding understanding of superfluidity in low-dimensional systems.

Findings

Supercurrents are stabilized by quantum phase slips.

Edge dislocations exhibit exotic infrared properties.

Predicted a testable mass-current-pressure relationship.

Abstract

Recently, it has been argued by Kuklov et al., that unusual features associated with the superflow-through-solid effect observed in solid He4 can be explained by unique properties of dilute distribution of superfluid edge dislocations. We demonstrate that stability of supercurrents controlled by quantum phase slips (instantons), and other exotic infrared properties of the superfluid dislocations readily follow from a one-dimensional quantum liquid distinguished by an effectively infinite compressibility (in the absence of Peierls potential) associated with the edge dislocation's ability to climb. This establishes a new class of quasi-one-dimensional superfluid states that remain stable and long-range ordered despite their low dimensionality. We propose an experiment to test our mass-current--pressure characteristic prediction.