Suppressing the Kibble-Zurek Mechanism by a Symmetry-Violating Bias

The formation of topological defects in continuous phase transitions is driven by the Kibble-Zurek mechanism. Here we study the formation of single- and half-quantum vortices during transition to the polar phase of He-3 in the presence of a symmetry-breaking bias provided by the applied magnetic field. We find that vortex formation is suppressed exponentially when the length scale associated with the bias field becomes smaller than the Kibble-Zurek length. We thus demonstrate an experimentally feasible shortcut to adiabaticity-an important aspect for further understanding of phase transitions as well as for engineering applications such as quantum computers or simulators.

Automated summary

The study shows that the formation of single- and half-quantum vortices during the transition to the polar phase of He-3 is exponentially suppressed when the length scale associated with the symmetry-breaking bias provided by the applied magnetic field is smaller than the Kibble-Zurek length. This demonstrates an experimentally feasible shortcut to adiabaticity, which is important for further understanding of phase transitions and for engineering applications such as quantum computers or simulators.