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Nature 430, 839-840 (19 August 2004) | doi:10.1038/430839a; Published online 18 August 2004

Condensed-matter physics:  Vortices weave a tangled web

David R. Nelson1

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In high-temperature superconductors, quantized vortex filaments can be twisted up into a DNA-like double helix. An experiment is proposed to test how easily these vortex lines cut through each other.

Inside a superconductor, electrical currents flow without resistance. Almost as remarkable as this electron flow without dissipation are the quantized, thread-like vortices of charge that swirl like miniature tornadoes around lines of magnetic field.

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