Thermal transport of helium-3 in a strongly confining channel.

The investigation of transport properties in normal liquid helium-3 and its topological superfluid phases provides insights into related phenomena in electron fluids, topological materials, and putative topological superconductors. It relies on the measurement of mass, heat, and spin currents, due to system neutrality. Of particular interest is transport in strongly confining channels of height approaching the superfluid coherence length, to enhance the relative contribution of surface excitations, and suppress hydrodynamic counterflow. Here we report on the thermal conduction of helium-3 in a 1.1 µm high channel. In the normal state we observe a diffusive thermal conductivity that is approximately temperature independent, consistent with interference of bulk and boundary scattering. In the superfluid, the thermal conductivity is only weakly temperature dependent, requiring detailed theoretical analysis. An anomalous thermal response is detected in the superfluid which we propose arises from the emission of a flux of surface excitations from the channel.

Dissipation mechanisms near the superfluid 3He transition in aerogel.

We have investigated the dissipation (Q-1) using the torsion pendulum technique for pure 3He and 3He-4He mixtures in silica aerogel near the 3He superfluid transition (T(c)) in aerogel. With pure 3He the Q-1 decreases at the onset of superfluidity. When phase separated 3He-4He mixtures are introduced into the aerogel, the Q-1 does not decrease as rapidly and eventually increases for the highest 4He content. We provide a model for the related attenuation of transverse sound alpha that takes into account elastic and inelastic scattering processes and exhibits a decrease in alpha at T(c).