Damping of a micro-electromechanical oscillator in turbulent superfluid ${}^4$He: A novel probe of quantized vorticity in the ultra-low temperature regime

Abstract

We report a comprehensive investigation of the effects of quantum turbulence and quantized vorticity in superfluid ${}^4$He on the motion of a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) resonator. We find that the MEMS is uniquely sensitive to quantum turbulence present in the fluid. To generate turbulence in the fluid, a quartz tuning fork (TF) is placed in proximity to the MEMS and driven at large amplitude. We observe that at low velocity, the MEMS is damped by the turbulence, and that above a critical velocity, $v_c\simeq 5$mm\,s${}^{-1}$, the turbulent damping is greatly reduced. We find that above $v_c$, the damping of the MEMS is reduced further for increasing velocity, indicating a velocity dependent coupling between the surface of the MEMS and the quantized vortices constituting the turbulence. We propose a model of the interaction between vortices in the fluid and the surface of the MEMS. The sensitivity of these devices to a small number of vortices and the almost unlimited customization of MEMS open the door to a more complete understanding of the interaction between quantized vortices and oscillating structures, which in turn provides a new route for the investigation of the dynamics of single vortices.

arXiv comment14 pages, 10 figures

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Cited by in corpus (4)

• Mesoscopic physics of nanomechanical systems
• Determining the source of phase noise: Response of a driven Duffing oscillator to low-frequency damping and resonance frequency fluctuations
• Dynamics of pinned quantized vortices in superfluid ${}^4$He in a microelectromechanical oscillator
• Modelling turbulent flow of superfluid ${}^4$He past a rough solid wall in the $T=0$ limit