2004/09/30 by Nikolay Prokof’ev, Nikolay Prokof'ev, Boris Svistunov · 7 citations
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Condensed matter physics #Context (archaeology) #Interpretation (philosophy) #Mathematics #Phase (matter) #Phase diagram #Physics #Quantum mechanics #Quantum, superfluid, helium dynamics #State (computer science) #Superfluidity #Supersolid #Symmetry (geometry) #Theoretical physics #Translational symmetry #Zero (linguistics) #cond-mat.stat-mech #cond-mat.supr-con
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.94.155302
4 figures, 4 pages
arxiv created 2004/11/23 · openalex publication_date 2005/04/20 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We prove that the necessary condition for a solid to be also a superfluid is to have zero-point vacancies, or interstitial atoms, or both, as an integral part of the ground state. As a consequence, in the absence of symmetry between vacancies and interstitials, superfluidity has a zero probability to occur in commensurate solids which break continuous translation symmetry. We discuss recent 4He experiments by Kim and Chan in the context of this theorem, question its bulk supersolid interpretation, and offer an alternative explanation in terms of superfluid interfaces.