Nonlinear wave dynamics on a chip

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Reeves, Matthew T.; Wasserman, Walter W.; Harrison, Raymond A.; Marinkovic, Igor; Luu, Nicole; Sawadsky, Andreas; Sfendla, Yasmine L.; Harris, Glen I.; Bowen, Warwick P.; Baker, Christopher G.
• 署名单位: University of Queensland; University of Queensland
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.ady3042
• 发表日期: 2025-10-23
• 页码: 371-376
• 关键词: 3RD SOUND; superfluid; solitons; films; generation; vortices; laser; water

摘要

Shallow-water waves are a notable example of nonlinear hydrodynamics, giving rise to phenomena such as tsunamis and undular waves. These dynamics are typically studied in hundreds-of-meters-long wave flumes. In this work, we demonstrate a chip-scale wave flume, which exploits nanometer-thick superfluid helium films and optomechanical interactions to achieve nonlinearities surpassing those of extreme terrestrial flows. Measurements reveal wave steepening, shock fronts, and solitary wave fission-nonlinear behaviors predicted in superfluid helium but never directly observed. Our approach enables lithography-defined wave flume geometries, optomechanical control of hydrodynamic properties, and orders-of-magnitude faster measurements than terrestrial flumes. This approach combining quantum fluids and nanophotonics provides a platform to explore complex wave dynamics at the microscale.