Impurity states in liquid-helium films. Academic Article uri icon

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. 1988 The American Physical Society.

published proceedings

  • Phys Rev B Condens Matter

author list (cited authors)

  • Krotscheck, E., Saarela, M., & Epstein, J. L.

citation count

  • 58

complete list of authors

  • Krotscheck, E||Saarela, M||Epstein, JL

publication date

  • January 1988