Researchers at NIST and the Joint Quantum Institute have demonstrated the first “persistent” current in an ultracold atomic gas, a key property of superfluidity. They created a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in the shape of a donut, which stabilized circular superfluid flows. By using laser light with orbital angular momentum to stir the gas, they observed persistent flow lasting up to 10 seconds, even with only 20% of the atoms in the BEC state. This technique could lead to ultraprecise navigation gyroscopes and provide new insights into the fundamental connection between BECs and superfluids.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2007/11/nist-announces-first-observation-persistent-flow-gas
Keywords: BEC, Superfluidity, Superconductivity, Orbital Angular Momentum
