Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physics Bulletin

Low Temperature Research: A search for new superfluids

A. M. Guénault

Published Jul 1, 1983• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A central theme in low temperature physics is an understanding of how different forms of matter become ordered (i.e. reach zero entropy) as absolute zero is approached. A particularly important aspect is the existence of superfluids, states of matter in which a fluid enters a highly coherent quantum state and in which unusual thermal and flow properties are therefore observed.

DOI
10.1088/0031-9112/34/7/023

Related papers

Superfluids

Henry Edgar Hall

What is a superfluid? The word “superfluid” was coined to describe a qualitatively different state of a fluid that can occur at low temperatures, in which the resistance to flow is identically zero, so that flow round a closed path lasts for ever – a persistent current. Superfluidity can occur either for uncharged particles such as helium atoms or for charged particles such as the electrons in a metal. In the latter case the flow constitutes an electric current and we have a superconductor. Since an electric current is accompanied by a magnetic field, it is much easier to demonstrate the presence of a persistent current in a superconductor than in a neutral superfluid. In this chapter I shall describe the properties of superfluids, starting with the simplest and working up to more complicated examples. But in this introductory section I shall depart from the historical order even further by turning to the last page of the detective story so as to catch a glimpse of the conclusion from almost a century of experimental and theoretical research; we shall then have an idea of where we are heading. The conclusion is that superfluidity is more than just flow without resistance. It is an example of a transition to a more ordered state as the temperature is lowered, like the transition to ferromagnetism. At such a transition new macroscopically measurable quantities appear: in the case of a ferromagnet, the spontaneous magnetization. Such new measurable quantities are known as the order parameter of the low-temperature phase. The new quantities in the case of a superfluid are more subtle and more surprising: the amplitude and phase of the de Broglie wave associated with the motion of the superfluid particles. A superfluid can therefore exhibit quantummechanical effects on a macroscopic scale.

Cambridge University Press eBooks•Feb 13, 2006•0 citations

Superfluidity

Allan Griffin

In January 1938, the Russian physicist Pyotr Kapitza reported that, at temperatures below 2.2 degrees above absolute zero, liquid helium seemed to flow with no loss of energy due to friction. The term “superfluid” was suggested to describe this new behavior—which was eventually understood as a dramatic illustration of the quantum-mechanical wave nature of matter. The study of such macroscopic quantum effects now lies at the heart of modern physics. The complete analogue of the Landau two-fluid hydrodynamic equations, including various transport coefficients associated with the normal fluid, has recently been derived for the trapped atomic Bose gases. In the next few years, experiments should be able to probe this two-fluid domain in Bose gases, a region first explored with such spectacular success in superfluid helium by Kapitza and Allen and Misener. The complexity of analyzing any liquid at a microscopic level has resulted in many aspects of the theory of superfluid.

University of Chicago Press eBooks•Jan 1, 2003•0 citations

Basic Superfluids

Tony Guénault

Superfluidity is the jewel in the crown of low temperature physics. When temperatures are low enough, every substance in thermal equilibrium must become ordered. Since some materials remain fluid to the lowest temperatures, it is a fascinating question as to how this ordering can take place. One possibility is the formation of a superfluid state, a

Master's series in physics and astronomy•Nov 28, 2002•0 citations

Two-dimensional Bose fluids: An atomic physics perspective

Zoran Hadzibabic, Jean Dalibard

The properties of phase transitions and the types of order present in the low-temperature states of matter are fundamentally dependent on the dimensionality of physical systems. Generally, highly ordered states are more robust in higher dimensions, while thermal and quantum fluctuations, which favour disordered states, play a more important role in lower dimensions. The case of a two-dimensional (2d) Bose fluid is particularly fascinating because of its "marginal" behaviour. In an infinite uniform 2d fluid thermal fluctuations at any non-zero temperature are strong enough to destroy the fully ordered state associated with Bose--Einstein condensation, but are not strong enough to suppress superfluidity in an interacting system at low, but non-zero temperatures. Further, the presence of residual "quasi-long-range" order at low temperatures leads to an interesting interplay between superfluidity and condensation in all experimentally relevant finite-size systems. In these notes we give an introduction to the physics of 2d Bose fluids from an atomic physics perspective. Our goal is to summarize the recent progress in theoretical understanding and experimental investigation of ultra-cold atomic gases confined to 2d geometry, and we also hope to provide a useful introduction to these systems for researchers working on related topics in other fields of physics.

arXiv:0912.1490•Dec 7, 2009•100 citations

Thermodynamic Properties of Exotic States of Matter: Superfluids and Bose-Einstein Condensates

Dr. Ali Khan

The study of exotic states of matter, particularly superfluids and Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs), has revolutionized our understanding of quantum mechanics in macroscopic systems. This article explores the thermodynamic properties of these states, focusing on their unique behavior at ultra-low temperatures. Superfluids exhibit zero viscosity and anomalous flow characteristics, while Bose-Einstein condensates, formed by cooling bosons to near absolute zero, present quantum phenomena on a macroscopic scale. This paper reviews key thermodynamic concepts, such as entropy, heat capacity, and chemical potential, as they apply to these exotic phases. Additionally, the relationship between quantum coherence and thermodynamic stability in superfluids and BECs is examined, along with the practical implications for quantum technologies.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH & SOCIAL SCIENCES•Dec 31, 2025•0 citations

Superfluidity in Ultracold Fermi Gases

Francesca Maria Marchetti, Rudolf Peierls

The search for novel phases of quantum coherent matter has been one of the main driving forces in condensed matter physics for many years. The unprecedented experimental sophistication reached recently in ultracold atomic gases has opened new and exciting perspectives in this search. The ability to externally manipulate the interatomic interaction, the capacity to embed atomic clouds in optical lattices or confine them in low dimensions, as well as the possibility to prepare mixtures of atoms with different statistics and/or populations, is presenting an opportunity to realise and explore novel correlated phases of matter. During the lectures I will focus mainly on aspects of condensation and superfluidity phenomena in fermionic systems. Theoretical elements will be discussed together with recent experimental realisations.

•Jan 1, 2007•0 citations
A central theme in low temperature physics is an understanding of how different forms of matter become ordered (i.e. reach zero entropy) as absolute zero is approached. A particularly important aspect is the existence of superfluids, states of matter in which a fluid enters a highly coherent quantum state and in which unusual thermal and flow properties are therefore observed.
What is a superfluid? The word “superfluid” was coined to describe a qualitatively different state of a fluid that can occur at low temperatures, in which the resistance to flow is identically zero, so that flow round a closed path lasts for ever – a persistent current. Superfluidity can occur either for uncharged particles such as helium atoms or for charged particles such as the electrons in a metal. In the latter case the flow constitutes an electric current and we have a superconductor. Since an electric current is accompanied by a magnetic field, it is much easier to demonstrate the presence of a persistent current in a superconductor than in a neutral superfluid. In this chapter I shall describe the properties of superfluids, starting with the simplest and working up to more complicated examples. But in this introductory section I shall depart from the historical order even further by turning to the last page of the detective story so as to catch a glimpse of the conclusion from almost a century of experimental and theoretical research; we shall then have an idea of where we are heading. The conclusion is that superfluidity is more than just flow without resistance. It is an example of a transition to a more ordered state as the temperature is lowered, like the transition to ferromagnetism. At such a transition new macroscopically measurable quantities appear: in the case of a ferromagnet, the spontaneous magnetization. Such new measurable quantities are known as the order parameter of the low-temperature phase. The new quantities in the case of a superfluid are more subtle and more surprising: the amplitude and phase of the de Broglie wave associated with the motion of the superfluid particles. A superfluid can therefore exhibit quantummechanical effects on a macroscopic scale.
In January 1938, the Russian physicist Pyotr Kapitza reported that, at temperatures below 2.2 degrees above absolute zero, liquid helium seemed to flow with no loss of energy due to friction. The term “superfluid” was suggested to describe this new behavior—which was eventually understood as a dramatic illustration of the quantum-mechanical wave nature of matter. The study of such macroscopic quantum effects now lies at the heart of modern physics. The complete analogue of the Landau two-fluid hydrodynamic equations, including various transport coefficients associated with the normal fluid, has recently been derived for the trapped atomic Bose gases. In the next few years, experiments should be able to probe this two-fluid domain in Bose gases, a region first explored with such spectacular success in superfluid helium by Kapitza and Allen and Misener. The complexity of analyzing any liquid at a microscopic level has resulted in many aspects of the theory of superfluid.
The properties of phase transitions and the types of order present in the low-temperature states of matter are fundamentally dependent on the dimensionality of physical systems. Generally, highly ordered states are more robust in higher dimensions, while thermal and quantum fluctuations, which favour disordered states, play a more important role in lower dimensions. The case of a two-dimensional (2d) Bose fluid is particularly fascinating because of its "marginal" behaviour. In an infinite uniform 2d fluid thermal fluctuations at any non-zero temperature are strong enough to destroy the fully ordered state associated with Bose--Einstein condensation, but are not strong enough to suppress superfluidity in an interacting system at low, but non-zero temperatures. Further, the presence of residual "quasi-long-range" order at low temperatures leads to an interesting interplay between superfluidity and condensation in all experimentally relevant finite-size systems. In these notes we give an introduction to the physics of 2d Bose fluids from an atomic physics perspective. Our goal is to summarize the recent progress in theoretical understanding and experimental investigation of ultra-cold atomic gases confined to 2d geometry, and we also hope to provide a useful introduction to these systems for researchers working on related topics in other fields of physics.
The study of exotic states of matter, particularly superfluids and Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs), has revolutionized our understanding of quantum mechanics in macroscopic systems. This article explores the thermodynamic properties of these states, focusing on their unique behavior at ultra-low temperatures. Superfluids exhibit zero viscosity and anomalous flow characteristics, while Bose-Einstein condensates, formed by cooling bosons to near absolute zero, present quantum phenomena on a macroscopic scale. This paper reviews key thermodynamic concepts, such as entropy, heat capacity, and chemical potential, as they apply to these exotic phases. Additionally, the relationship between quantum coherence and thermodynamic stability in superfluids and BECs is examined, along with the practical implications for quantum technologies.
The search for novel phases of quantum coherent matter has been one of the main driving forces in condensed matter physics for many years. The unprecedented experimental sophistication reached recently in ultracold atomic gases has opened new and exciting perspectives in this search. The ability to externally manipulate the interatomic interaction, the capacity to embed atomic clouds in optical lattices or confine them in low dimensions, as well as the possibility to prepare mixtures of atoms with different statistics and/or populations, is presenting an opportunity to realise and explore novel correlated phases of matter. During the lectures I will focus mainly on aspects of condensation and superfluidity phenomena in fermionic systems. Theoretical elements will be discussed together with recent experimental realisations.