Topological swimming in a quantum sea
arXiv:cond-mat/0508692 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.130602
Abstract
We propose a quantum theory of swimming for swimmers that are small relative to the coherence length of the medium. The quantum swimming equation is derived from known results on quantum pumps. For a one-dimensional Fermi gas at zero temperature we find that swimming is topological: The distance covered in one swimming stroke is quantized in half integer multiples of the Fermi wave length. Moreover, one can swim without dissipation.