Quantum transport in mesoscopic ${}^3$He films: experimental study of the interference of bulk and boundary scattering

Abstract

We discuss the mass transport of a degenerate Fermi liquid ${}^3$He film over a rough surface, and the film momentum relaxation time, in the framework of theoretical predictions. In the mesoscopic régime, the anomalous temperature dependence of the relaxation time is explained in terms of the interference between elastic boundary scattering and inelastic quasiparticle-quasiparticle scattering within the film. We exploit a quasiclassical treatment of quantum size effects in the film in which the surface roughness, whose power spectrum is experimentally determined, is mapped into an effective disorder potential within a film of uniform thickness. Confirmation is provided by the introduction of elastic scattering centres within the film. We model further studies on ${}^3$He confined in nanofluidic sample chambers with lithographically defined surface roughness. The improved understanding of surface roughness scattering may impact on enhancing the conductivity in thin metallic films.

5 pages, 3 figures

References in corpus (1)

• Dependence of resistivity on surface profile in nanoscale metal films and wires

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• Study of superfluid ${}^3$He under nanoscale confinement. A new approach to the investigation of superfluid ${}^3$He films
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• Microfluidic and Nanofluidic Cavities for Quantum Fluids Experiments
• Fermi liquid theory applied to a film on an oscillating substrate
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• Transport in Fermi Liquids Confined by Rough Walls
• Anomalous Heat and Momentum Transport Arising from Surface Roughness in a Normal ${}^3$He Slab