Sound emission and annihilations in a programmable quantum vortex collider

Abstract

In quantum fluids, the quantisation of circulation forbids the diffusion of a vortex swirling flow seen in classical viscous fluids. Yet, a quantum vortex accelerating in a superfluid may lose its energy into acoustic radiation, in a similar way an electric charge decelerates upon emitting photons. The dissipation of vortex energy underlies central problems in quantum hydrodynamics, such as the decay of quantum turbulence, highly relevant to systems as varied as neutron stars, superfluid helium and atomic condensates. A deep understanding of the elementary mechanisms behind irreversible vortex dynamics has been a goal for decades, but it is complicated by the shortage of conclusive experimental signatures. Here, we address this challenge by realising a programmable quantum vortex collider in a planar, homogeneous atomic Fermi superfluid with tunable inter-particle interactions. We create on-demand vortex configurations and monitor their evolution, taking advantage of the accessible time and length scales of our ultracold Fermi gas. Engineering collisions within and between vortex-antivortex pairs allows us to decouple relaxation of the vortex energy due to sound emission and interactions with normal fluid, i.e. mutual friction. We directly visualise how the annihilation of vortex dipoles radiates a sound pulse in the superfluid. Further, our few-vortex experiments extending across different superfluid regimes suggest that fermionic quasiparticles localised inside the vortex core contribute significantly to dissipation, opening the route to exploring new pathways for quantum turbulence decay, vortex by vortex.