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Coherent vortex dynamics in a strongly-interacting superfluid on a silicon chip

Two-dimensional superfluidity and quantum turbulence are directly connected to the microscopic dynamics of quantized vortices. However, surface effects have prevented direct observations of coherent vortex dynamics in strongly-interacting two-dimensional systems. Here, we overcome this challenge by confining a two-dimensional droplet of superfluid helium at microscale on the atomically-smooth surface of a silicon chip. An on-chip optical microcavity allows laser-initiation of vortex clusters and nondestructive observation of their decay in a single shot. Coherent dynamics dominate, with thermal vortex diffusion suppressed by six orders-of-magnitude. This establishes a new on-chip platform to study emergent phenomena in strongly-interacting superfluids, test astrophysical dynamics such as those in the superfluid core of neutron stars in the laboratory, and construct quantum technologies such as precision inertial sensors.