Observation of Self-binding in Monolayer ${}^3$He

Abstract

We report clear experimental signatures of the theoretically unexpected gas-liquid transition in the first three monolayers of ${}^3$He adsorbed on graphite. The transition is inferred from the linear density dependence of the $\gamma$-coefficient of the heat capacity measured in the degenerate region (2 $\le T\le$80 mK) below a critical liquid density (${\rho }_{c0}$). Surprisingly, the measured ${\rho }_{c0}$ values (0.6$\sim$0.9 nm${}^{-2}$) are nearly the same for all these monolayers in spite of their quite different environments. We conclude that the ground-state of ${}^3$He in strict two dimensions is not a dilute quantum gas but a self-bound quantum liquid with the lowest density ever found.

5 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (5)

• Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy of the electronic local density of states of graphite surfaces near monoatomic step edges
• The Role of Substrate Corrugations in Helium Monolayer Solidification
• Zero-temperature equation of state of two-dimensional 3He
• Evidence for a Self-Bound Liquid State and the Commensurate-Incommensurate Coexistence in 2D ${}^3$He on Graphite
• Determination of the mosaic angle distribution of Grafoil platelets using continuous-wave NMR spectra

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• Low-density phases of ${}^3$He monolayers adsorbed on graphite
• Structural Study of Adsorbed Helium Films: New Approach with Synchrotron Radiation X-rays
• Fluid and registered phases in the second layer of 3He on graphite
• A Simple Experimental Setup for Simultaneous Superfluid-response and Heat-capacity Measurements for Helium in Confined Geometries
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• Superconducting Niobium Calorimeter for Studies of Adsorbed Helium Monolayers
• On the Novel Superfluidity in the Second Layer of ${}^4$He on Graphite