Monopole, half-quantum vortices and nexus in chiral superfluids and superconductors

TL;DR

This paper discusses the theoretical connection between half-quantum vortices and monopoles in chiral superfluids and superconductors, proposing the concept of a nexus to facilitate their experimental observation.

Contribution

It introduces the topological connection between half-quantum vortices and monopoles, and proposes the nexus as a combined object to enable experimental detection.

Findings

Topological connection between vortices and monopoles established

Proposal of the nexus as a detectable combined object

Potential for observing these objects in realistic geometries

Abstract

Two exotic objects are still not identified experimentally in chiral superfluids and superconductors. These are the half-quantum vortex, which plays the part of the Alice string in relativistic theories, and the hedgehog in the l-field, which is the counterpart of the Dirac magnetic monopole. These two objects of different dimensionality are topologically connected. They form the combined object which is called nexus in relativistic theories (hep-th/9911125). Such combination will allow us to observe half-quantum vortices and monopoles in several realistic geometries.