The Kibble–Zurek (KZ) mechanism is a theoretical framework introduced by physicists Tom Kibble and Wojciech Zurek. This framework essentially describes the formation of topological defects while systems undergo non-equilibrium phase transitions.
Researchers at Seoul National University and the Institute for Basic Science in Korea recently observed KZ scaling in a homogeneous and strongly interacting Fermi gas as it was transitioning into a superfluid.
Their paper, published in Nature Physics, could pave the way for further experimental efforts probing this long-standing physics framework.
"Superfluidity and superconductivity have fascinated physicists for nearly a century," Kyuhwan Lee, co-author of the paper, told Phys.org. "They are beautiful manifestations of quantum mechanics on a large scale.
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