Probing Gauge String Formation in a Superconducting Phase Transition

Abstract

Superconductors are the only experimentally accessible systems with spontaneously broken gauge symmetries which support topologically nontrivial defects, namely string defects. We propose two experiments whose aim is the observation of the dense network of these strings thought to arise, via the Kibble mechanism, in the course of a spontaneous symmetry breaking phase transition. We suggest ways to estimate the order of magnitude of the density of flux tubes produced in the phase transition. This may provide an experimental check for the theories of the production of topological defects in a spontaneously broken gauge theory, such as those employed in the context of the early Universe.

16 pages (Latex), 4 figures included, change in title, some minor changes, published version

References in corpus (5)

• Cosmological Experiments in Condensed Matter Systems
• The Cosmological Kibble Mechanism in the Laboratory: String Formation in Liquid Crystals
• On the Production of Flux Vortices and Magnetic Monopoles in Phase Transitions
• Formation of Topological Defects with Explicit Symmetry Breaking
• Towards Observing the Intercommutation of Flux Tubes in Superconductors

Cited by in corpus (7)

• Observation of Magnetic Flux Generated Spontaneously During a Rapid Quench of Superconducting Films
• Semi-superfluid strings in High Density QCD
• Formation of topological defects in gauge field theories
• Relaxation dynamics in the merging of $N$ independent condensates
• Measuring Cosmic Defect Correlations in Liquid Crystals
• Formation of topological vortices during superfluid transition in a rotating vessel
• Detecting superfluid transition in the pulsar core