English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Symmetries of the physical world have guided formulation of fundamental laws,including relativistic quantum field theory and understanding of possiblestates of matter. Topological defects (TDs) often control the universalbehavior of macroscopic quantum systems, while topology and broken symmetriesdetermine allowed TDs. Taking advantage of the symmetry-breaking patterns inthe phase diagram of nanoconfined superfluid $^3$He, we show that half-quantumvortices (HQVs) -- linear topological defects carrying half quantum ofcirculation -- survive transitions from the polar phase to other superfluidphases with polar distortion. In the polar-distorted A phase, HQV cores in 2Dsystems should harbor non-Abelian Majorana modes. In the polar-distorted Bphase, HQVs form composite defects -- walls bounded by strings hypothesizeddecades ago in cosmology. Our experiments establish the superfluid phases of$^3$He in nanostructured confinement as a promising topological media forfurther investigations ranging from topological quantum computing to cosmologyand grand unification scenarios.

Half-quantum vortices and walls bounded by strings in the polar-distorted phases of topological superfluid $^3$He