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6 - Superfluid 3He

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2009

T. Tsuneto
Affiliation:
Ryukoku University, Japan
Mikio Nakahara
Affiliation:
Kinki University, Japan
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Summary

Superfluidity in liquid 3He, discovered in 1972, is due to pairing, as is the case for superconductivity in ordinary metals. However, the pair is in the 3P state so that a new aspect of superfluidity appears with internal degrees of freedom. It offers quite an interesting real example of ‘spontaneous symmetry breaking’. This aspect will be emphasised in the following discussion.

Fermi liquid 3He

A 3He atom is a fermion with nuclear spin ½. Although 3He gas liquefies at low temperatures due to the weak van der Waals force, it does not solidify even at T = 0 unless the pressure exceeds 33.5 atm (3.4 × 106 Pa) as shown in the phase diagram (Fig. 6.1 (a)). While Bose liquid 4He becomes superfluid at about 2K, 3He is Fermi-degenerate at less than TF ∼ 0.1 K and shows the properties of a normal Fermi gas. For example, the specific heat and the susceptibility are proportional to T at T < TF. It is only at an ultra-low temperature in the mK-region that the system undergoes a transition to the superfluid state.

Figure 6.1(b) is the phase diagram showing the superfluid phases with variables T,P and external magnetic field H in the mK-region. It should be noted that there are two thermodynamically distinct phases called the A phase and the B phase even at H = 0, and that for H ≠ 0 the A1 phase appears.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1998

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  • Superfluid 3He
  • T. Tsuneto, Ryukoku University, Japan
  • Translated by Mikio Nakahara, Kinki University, Japan
  • Book: Superconductivity and Superfluidity
  • Online publication: 23 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511599859.008
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  • Superfluid 3He
  • T. Tsuneto, Ryukoku University, Japan
  • Translated by Mikio Nakahara, Kinki University, Japan
  • Book: Superconductivity and Superfluidity
  • Online publication: 23 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511599859.008
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Superfluid 3He
  • T. Tsuneto, Ryukoku University, Japan
  • Translated by Mikio Nakahara, Kinki University, Japan
  • Book: Superconductivity and Superfluidity
  • Online publication: 23 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511599859.008
Available formats
×