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Impurity states in liquid-helium films

  • Texas A&M University

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

60 Scopus citations

Abstract

We study the properties of impurity atoms of He3 and spin-polarized hydrogen isotopes in films of liquid He4 adsorbed to a substrate. We find that a He3 impurity has three or more bound states, two of which we associate with surface states. Hydrogen atoms are very weakly bound and have only one bound state. Depending on the thickness of the film, deuterium impurities may form two surface bound states, or may penetrate to the substrate. For all cases studied, tritium impurities also tend to penetrate to the substrate. We develop the theory of the formation of self-bound or polaron states, but we see no evidence that such states can become energetically favorable.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)111-128
Number of pages18
JournalPhysical Review B-Condensed Matter
Volume38
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1988

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