Heat capacity peak in solid 4He: Effects of disorder and 3He impurities

TL;DR

This study investigates the heat capacity peak in solid 4He, revealing how disorder and 3He impurities influence the peak's characteristics and phase separation behavior.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the effects of disorder and 3He impurities on the heat capacity and phase separation in solid 4He.

Findings

Peak height decreases with improved crystallinity

Peak shifts to lower temperature with better crystallinity

Hysteretic signature indicates 3He-4He phase separation

Abstract

Heat capacity measurements with significantly improved resolution find the presence of a peak in a solid 4He sample in coexistence with liquid. With improved crystallinity, the peak decreases in height and moves to lower temperature. A hysteretic heat capacity signature consistent with 3He-4He phase separation, not detected in an earlier work is clearly observed.