Magnetic-field-induced superconductivity and superfluidity of W and Z bosons: In tandem transport and kaleidoscopic vortex states

M. N. Chernodub; Jos Van Doorsselaere; Henri Verschelde

doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.88.065006

← Back to search

Magnetic-field-induced superconductivity and superfluidity of W and Z bosons: In tandem transport and kaleidoscopic vortex states

M. N. Chernodub, Jos Van Doorsselaere, Henri Verschelde

DOI 10.1103/PhysRevD.88.065006 · Physical Review D

T1

Active bibliographic source — not scientific approval

Bibliographic access preserves source history; it does not approve extracted materials or validate reported claims. Review warnings on each occurrence separately.

Abstract

We show that in a background of a sufficiently strong magnetic field the electroweak sector of the quantum vacuum exhibits superconducting and, unexpectedly, superfluid properties due to the magnetic-field-induced condensation of, respectively, W and Z bosons. The phase transition to the “tandem” superconductor-superfluid phase—which is weakly sensitive to the Higgs sector of the Standard Model—occurs at the critical magnetic field of 1020 T. The superconductor-superfluid phase of the electroweak vacuum has anisotropic transport properties as both charged and neutral superflows may propagate only along the magnetic field axis. The ground state possesses an unusual “kaleidoscopic” structure made of a hexagonal lattice of superfluid vortices superimposed on a triangular lattice of superconductor vortices.