Bound state of a 3He atom at the interface of crystal and superfluid 4He

The bound state of a He-3 atom at the interface between coexisting crystalline and superfluid phases of He-4 is studied theoretically by means of first principle Quantum Monte Carlo simulations. We consider both the case of a solid/superfluid He-4 interface, as well as that of a few solid layers of He-4 forming on an attractive substrate. It is observed that the He-3 bound state is sharply localized in a well-defined, quasi-2D layer of He-4 in the region intermediate between the solid and the liquid. The layer in which the He-3 atom resides displays an intriguing interplay of atomic localization and quantum-mechanical exchanges; is not necessarily the first non-solid layer, as suggested in previous studies, and it is affected by the attractive strength of the substrate.

Automated summary

The bound state of a He-3 atom at the interface between crystalline and superfluid phases of He-4 is investigated using first principle Quantum Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that the He-3 atom is sharply localized in a quasi-2D layer of He-4, located in the intermediate region between the solid and liquid states. The localization and quantum-mechanical exchanges of the He-3 atom are influenced by the attractive strength of the substrate.