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

Abstract

Symmetry-allowed topological defects, like quantized vortices, often control the universal behavior of macroscopic quantum systems. Here, Mäkinen et al. report survival of half-quantum vortices in symmetry-breaking transitions to polar-distorted phases in nanostructure-confined superfluid 3He.