Modelling magnetically-levitated superconducting ellipsoids, cylinders and cuboids for quantum magnetomechanics

TL;DR

This paper theoretically explores the behavior of magnetically-levitated superconducting rotors of various shapes in anti-Helmholtz traps, highlighting how shape and aspect ratio influence stability and rotational modes for quantum magnetomechanics.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical model for different shaped superconducting rotors in magnetic traps, emphasizing the role of shape and aspect ratio in their stability and dynamics.

Findings

Stable orientations depend on rotor aspect ratios.

Librational mode provides an extra degree of freedom.

Shape influences the stability and rotational behavior.

Abstract

We theoretically investigate the properties of magnetically-levitated superconducting rotors confined in anti-Helmholtz traps, for application in magnetomechanical experiments. We study both the translational modes and a librational mode. The librational mode gives an additional degree of freedom that levitated spheres do not have access to. We compare rotors of different shapes: ellipsoids, cylinders and cuboids. We find that the stable orientations of the rotors depend on the rotors' aspect ratios.