Phase diagram of the topological superfluid 3He confined in a nanoscale slab geometry
Abstract
The superfluid phases of helium-3 (3He) are predicted to be strongly influenced by mesoscopic confinement. However, mapping out the phase diagram in a confined geometry has been experimentally challenging. We confined a sample of 3He within a nanofluidic cavity of precisely defined geometry, cooled it, and fingerprinted the order parameter using a sensitive nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer. The measured suppression of the p-wave order parameter arising from surface scattering was consistent with the predictions of quasi-classical theory. Controlled confinement of nanofluidic samples provides a new laboratory for the study of topological superfluids and their surface- and edge-bound excitations.
Date Published
Journal
Science
Volume
340
Issue
6134
Number of Pages
841-844,
URL
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84877741212&doi=10.1126%2fscience.1233621&partnerID=40&md5=796e851e5c3b161203cae904b5e0a575
DOI
10.1126/science.1233621
Research Area
Group (Lab)
Jeevak Parpia Group
Funding Source
0806629
1202991
228464
EP/E054129/1
EP/J022004/1