Superfluidity refers to a state in which matter behaves like a liquid with zero viscosity. Much like superconductivity, this phenomenon occurs at extremely low temperatures and can cause a liquid like helium to behave in the strangest ways, e.g. roll up out of a container or even create a perpetual fountain. But beyond just a fascinating curiosity, superfluidity is frequently used in high-precision applications like quantum gyroscopes and even satellites that measure infrared radiation in space.
With a few exceptions, superfluidity has generally been regarded as a macroscopic phenomenon, resulting from ‘bulky’ collections of particles rather than individual atoms. But in a recent Physical Review Letters paper, EPFL researchers have now shown that, at least in liquids, superfluidity involves dynamics that go down to the nanoscale.
Experiment provides insight into superfluidity at the nanoscale
