Double-Paddle Oscillators as Probes of Quantum Turbulence in the Zero Temperature Limit

We present a technical report on our tests of a double-paddle oscillator as a detector of quantum turbulence in superfluid \(^{4}\)He at low temperatures ranging from 20 to 1100 mK. The device, known to operate well in the two-fluid regime (Zemma and Luzuriaga in J Low Temp Phys 166:171–181, 2012), is also capable of detecting quantum turbulence in the zero temperature limit. The oscillator demonstrated Lorentzian responses with quality factors of order \(10^5\) in vacuum, and displayed negative-Duffing resonances in liquid, even at moderate drives. In superfluid He-II at low temperatures, its sensitivity was adversely affected by acoustic damping at higher harmonics. While it successfully created and detected the quantum turbulence, its overall performance does not compare favourably with other oscillators such as tuning forks.