Superfluid mass flow through solid 4He
Prof. Moses Chan
Pennsylvania State University
In this talk I will review recent experimental studies searching for supersolidity or superfluidity in solid 4He. In 2004, two torsional oscillator experiments showed positive evidence for the phenomenon. The Penn State results were quickly confirmed in more than 10 other laboratories. However, the initial euphoria was dampened by subsequent measurements that point to a less exciting explanation which can be named ‘quantum metallurgy’, rather than superfluidity, for the observed results.
The search for superfluidity in solid 4He spawned new measurements at the University of Massachusetts that show mass transport through solid helium sample sandwiched between superfluid ‘electrodes’. The mass flow takes place along the dislocation network in the solid and exhibits Luttinger liquid characteristics. I will also discuss the UMass and recent Penn State results on this phenomenon.
Hosted by Prof. Jin