Polaron states of electrons over the anisotropic surface of liquid helium

TL;DR

This paper investigates the energetics, localization, and transport properties of polarons on anisotropic liquid helium surfaces, focusing on quasi-one-dimensional channels, and estimates conditions for experimental observation.

Contribution

It introduces a variational hydrodynamic model to analyze polaron states and mobility in highly anisotropic helium surfaces, including quasi-one-dimensional systems.

Findings

Polaron binding energy is calculated for anisotropic helium surfaces.

Polaron formation temperature is estimated below 0.1 K.

Mobility along and across channels is determined.

Abstract

The energetics and transport properties of the polaron in the anisotropic surface over liquid helium are investigated. The localization radii and the energy of the ground and excited states are calculated using the variational method within the hydrodynamic model of the polaron. In particular, we have considered maximal anisotropy which corresponds to the system of electrons in quasi-one-dimensional channels over liquid helium. The polaron binding energy is found and the temperature for the polaron formation is estimated below 0.1 K. Solving the hydrodynamic equations for fluid velocities, the polaron mobilities along and across the channel are determined. The possibility of experimental observation of polarons by measuring the frequency of spectroscopic transitions as well the mobility as functions of the holding electric field is addressed.