Evidence for superfluid B-phase of 3He in aerogel

TL;DR

This study provides evidence that superfluid 3He in aerogel adopts a B-phase with an n texture, similar to bulk superfluid 3He-B, confirmed through combined torsional oscillator and NMR measurements.

Contribution

First combined torsional oscillator and NMR study demonstrating B-phase with n texture of superfluid 3He in aerogel.

Findings

NMR peaks at Larmor frequency indicate B-phase.

Superfluid density is independent of magnetic field.

Results suggest similar energetic considerations as bulk superfluid 3He-B.

Abstract

We have made simultaneous torsional oscillator and transverse cw NMR (at 165 kHz) studies of the superfluid phase of 3He in aerogel glasses of 1% and 2% of solid density. NMR occurs over a range of frequency extending from the Larmor frequency to higher values, but strongly peaked at the Larmor value. This behaviour together with the magnetic field independence of the effective superfluid density provides convincing evidence for a B-phase state with an n texture, in our spherical geometry, governed by the same energetic considerations as for bulk superfluid 3He-B.