Static and Dynamical Phyllotaxis in a Magnetic Cactus

TL;DR

This paper experimentally demonstrates Levitov's model for phyllotaxis, revealing complex dynamical excitations like rotons and topological solitons in a magnetic cactus system, bridging static patterns and dynamic phenomena.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental validation of Levitov's model and uncovers novel dynamical excitations in a magnetic system exhibiting phyllotaxis.

Findings

Observation of multiple classical rotons.

Identification of interconverting topological solitons.

Experimental validation of Levitov's phyllotaxis model.

Abstract

While the statics of many simple physical systems reproduce the striking number-theoretical patterns found in the phyllotaxis of living beings, their dynamics reveal unusual excitations: multiple classical rotons and a large family of interconverting topological solitons. As we introduce those, we also demonstrate experimentally for the first time Levitov's celebrated model for phyllotaxis. Applications at different scales and in different areas of physics are proposed and discussed.