Obervation of non-linear stationary spin waves in superfluid 3He-B

TL;DR

This paper reports the observation of non-linear stationary spin waves in superfluid 3He-B, revealing new spin dynamics and persistent signals linked to anharmonic potential wells, challenging existing damping theories.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental evidence of non-linear stationary spin waves in superfluid 3He-B and models their behavior with an anharmonic oscillator, expanding understanding of spin dynamics.

Findings

Asymmetric, hysteretic NMR line shapes at low temperatures

Frequency shifts indicating non-linear spin wave behavior

Persistence of signals suggesting undamped orbital motion

Abstract

Due to its broken spin and orbit rotation symmetries, superfluid $^3$He plays a unique role for testing rotational quantum properties on a macroscopic scale. In this system the orbital momentum forms textures that provide an effective potential well for the creation of stationary spin waves. In the limit of the lowest temperatures presently attainable, we observe by NMR techniques a profound change in the spin dynamics. The NMR line shape becomes asymmetric, strongly hysteretic and displays substantial frequency shifts. This behavior, quantitatively described by an anharmonic oscillator model, indicates that the parameters of the potential well depend on the spin waves amplitude, and therefore that the orbital motion is not damped in this new regime, not considered by the standard Leggett-Takagi theory. This regime of non-linear stationary spin waves is shown to give rise to the pulsed NMR "Persistent Signals" reported recently.