Quantum Transmission of Atoms through a Slab of Superfluid Helium

C. D. H. Williams and A. F. G. Wyatt
Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 085301 – Published 18 August 2003

Abstract

We describe a measurement of the transmission probability of He4 atoms through a freely suspended slab of superfluid He4 at low temperatures. In our experiment the slab is realized by using an array of parallel cylindrical holes of diameter 51μm in a glass disc of thickness 190μm. By controlling the chemical potential, the holes can be made to fill or empty with liquid, and the surface curvature varied. We have measured the transmission of atom beams, generated by a thin-film heater and detected with a sensitive bolometer, through this structure. The results show that the dominant transmission channel is atom–R+ roton–atom with a probability p0.12 and that R+ rotons can undergo total internal reflection at the free liquid surfaces.

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  • Received 16 April 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.085301

©2003 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

C. D. H. Williams* and A. F. G. Wyatt

  • School of Physics, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QL, United Kingdom

  • *Email address: c.d.h.williams@ex.ac.uk Electronic address: http://newton.ex.ac.uk/staff/CDHW/
  • Email address: a.f.g.wyatt@ex.ac.uk

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Issue

Vol. 91, Iss. 8 — 22 August 2003

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