Thermodynamics of the A-B phase transition and the geometry of the A-phasegap nodes in superfluid He-3 at low temperatures

Citation
M. Bartkowiak et al., Thermodynamics of the A-B phase transition and the geometry of the A-phasegap nodes in superfluid He-3 at low temperatures, PHYS REV L, 83(17), 1999, pp. 3462-3465
Citations number
9
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
ISSN journal
00319007 → ACNP
Volume
83
Issue
17
Year of publication
1999
Pages
3462 - 3465
Database
ISI
SICI code
0031-9007(19991025)83:17<3462:TOTAPT>2.0.ZU;2-V
Abstract
Since the A phase of superfluid He-3 has an energy gap with nodes while the B phase has a uniform gap, the entropies of the two phases are very differ ent at low temperatures. The latent heat of the A-B transition is thus rela tively large and provides a convenient probe for examining the structure of the A-phase gap nodes at low temperatures. We report here measurements of the latent heal down to similar to 150 mu K which show that at least to thi s temperature, the A-phase gap near the nodes is increasing linearly with d eviation of the k vector from the nodal line. From the measurements of the latent heat and of the transition field B-AB we can determine the magnetiza tion difference between the two phases.