Exploring Quantum Frontiers: First-Time Observation of “Alice Ring” Unveils Realm Where Particle Physics Defy Conventional Wisdom

Exploring Quantum Frontiers: First-Time Observation of “Alice Ring” Unveils Realm Where Particle Physics Defy Conventional Wisdom

Artistic representation of an Alice ring, a phenomenon recently detected in nature for the first time. Credit goes to Heikka Valja of Aalto University.

Video Play
Astrosaxena

Experiments have uncovered an intriguing counterpart to decaying monopoles: a domain where the norms of particle physics are radically inverted.

The landscape of quantum physics is teeming with avenues leading to compelling new fields of inquiry. However, one such path affords an unparalleled perspective into a realm where particles exhibit abnormal behavior—much like stepping through an allegorical mirror.

Named the “Alice ring,” in homage to Lewis Carroll’s famed Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the presence of this structure validates long-standing theories on the decay patterns of monopoles. Specifically, these monopoles deteriorate into a vortex-like ring, in which any traversing monopoles are converted into their antithetical magnetic charges.

Recently documented in the scientific journal Nature Communications, this discovery adds to an ongoing series of significant contributions from a partnership between Aalto University Professor Mikko Möttönen and Amherst College Professor David Hall.

A Milestone in Collaborative Research

Möttönen remarked, “This occasion marks the first instance where our collaboration succeeded in manifesting Alice rings in a natural setting, a feat of monumental significance.”

Hall further commented, “This foundational research paves the way for a deeper comprehension of how such structures, and their analogs in particle physics, operate within the cosmos.”

This enduring partnership, known as the Monopole Collaboration, initially confirmed the existence of quantum analogs of magnetic monopoles in 2014, isolated these quantum monopoles in 2015, and subsequently observed one transforming into another in 2017.

Understanding the Enigma of Monopoles

Monopoles are an elusive entity within the sphere of quantum physics. Contrary to dipoles, which possess a positive charge at their north pole and a negative one at their south, a monopole bears solely a positive or negative charge. Achieving a true monopole has been a monumental undertaking. The Monopole Collaboration achieved this by manipulating a cloud of rubidium atoms prepared in a nonmagnetic state at temperatures approaching absolute zero. Under such extreme conditions, a monopole was engineered by guiding a zero point of a three-dimensional magnetic field into the quantum gas.

The Advent of Alice Rings

Quantum monopoles are inherently transient, disintegrating mere milliseconds following their formation. It is within this fleeting existence that the Alice ring emerges.

“Envision the monopole as an egg precariously balanced atop a hill,” Möttönen noted. “Minor disturbances can precipitate its descent. Similarly, monopoles succumb to fluctuations that catalyze their decomposition into Alice rings.”

Although the monopoles are ephemeral, the researchers managed to simulate stable Alice rings for durations of up to 84 milliseconds—over 20 times the life expectancy of a monopole. This leads to the optimistic belief that ensuing experiments may unearth even more exotic attributes of Alice rings.

Hall stated, “At a glance, an Alice ring might appear identical to a monopole, but closer inspection through its core reveals a world where physics are essentially inverted.”

Möttönen added, “From such a viewpoint, everything appears as its mirror image, almost as if the Alice ring serves as a portal to an antimatter universe.”

Theoretically, a monopole passing through an Alice ring would metamorphose into an anti-monopole with an opposite charge. This transformation would in turn alter the Alice ring’s own charge. Although this occurrence has not yet been empirically demonstrated, Möttönen asserted that the topological characteristics of Alice rings make this inevitable.

A Collaborative Endeavor in Scientific Investigation

The empirical work was primarily conducted at Amherst College by PhD candidate Alina Blinova and Hall, while simulations were run by Möttönen’s team. This allowed for a corroborative interpretation of the empirical findings.

“The magnitude of this discovery as the culminating point of my doctoral research is simply staggering,” Blinova said.

Citation: “Observation of an Alice ring in a Bose–Einstein condensate” by Alina Blinova, Roberto Zamora-Zamora, Tuomas Ollikainen, Markus Kivioja, Mikko Möttönen and David S. Hall, published on 29 August 2023 in Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40710-2

The simulations at Aalto University were supported by the CSC – IT Center for Science and the Research Council of Finland through its Centre of Excellence in Quantum Technology. Meanwhile, the U.S.-based experiments received financial backing from the National Science Foundation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Alice Ring in Quantum Physics

More about Alice Ring in Quantum Physics

• Nature Communications Journal Article
• Aalto University Research Departments
• Amherst College Physics Department
• National Science Foundation Funding Programs
• Research Council of Finland
• Overview of Quantum Monopoles
• Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
• CSC – IT Center for Science
• Introduction to Quantum Physics
• What are Magnetic Fields?