2018/06/30 by W. P. Halperin, W.P. Halperin · 19 citations
Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · #Aerogel #Aerogels and thermal insulation #Anisotropy #Impurity #Inorganic Fluorides and Related Compounds #Quantum #Quantum, superfluid, helium dynamics #Superfluidity #Symmetry (geometry) #cond-mat.supr-con
paper · pdf · doi:10.1146/annurev-conmatphys-031218-013134
published in Annual Review of Condensed Matter Physics 10(1), 155-170 (Annual Reviews) · 23 pages, 8 figures, accepted Annual Reviews Condensed Matter Physics
openalex created_date 2018/06/21 · arxiv created 2018/08/13 · openalex publication_date 2018/12/10 · arxiv updated 2019/05/22 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
Superfluid 3 He is an unconventional neutral superfluid in a p-wave state with three different superfluid phases, each identified by a unique set of characteristic broken symmetries and nontrivial topology. Despite natural immunity of 3 He from defects and impurity of any kind, it has been found that they can be artificially introduced with high-porosity silica aerogel. Furthermore, it has been shown that this modified quantum liquid becomes a superfluid with remarkably sharp thermodynamic transitions from the normal state and between its various phases. These phases include new superfluid phases that are stabilized by anisotropy from uniform strain imposed on the silica aerogel framework, and they include new phenomena in a new class of anisotropic aerogels consisting of nematically ordered alumina strands. The study of superfluid 3 He in the presence of correlated, quenched disorder from aerogel serves as a model for understanding the effect of impurities on the symmetry and topology of unconventional superconductors.