Spin and mass superfluidity in ferromagnetic spin-1 BEC
Edouard B Sonin
Abstract
The paper investigates coexistence and interplay of spin and mass superfluidity in a ferromagnetic spin-1 BEC. Superfluidity is possible only in the presence of uniaxial anisotropy (linear and quadratic Zeeman effect). This follows from the topology of the order parameter space (vacuum manifold). According to the Landau criterion the critical phase gradients, both for mass and spin supercurrents, vanish at the phase transition from the easy-plane to the easy-axis anisotropy. However, it is argued that mass superfluidity is still possible at the phase transition. This is because the Landau criterion signals instability only with respect to nonsingular vortices with special ratio between circulations of mass and spin currents. Phase slips produced by these vortices are not sufficient for complete decay of supercurrents. Full decay of supercurrents requires phase slips with vortices of another topological class and another (larger) energy. The analysis of skyrmions forming cores of non-singular vortices shows that the critical gradients (velocities) for mass superfluidity smoothly vary across the phase transition and do not vanish or have any anomaly in the critical point.