Quantum States of Helium Atoms Confined in Nanocage in Na-Y Zeolite

Abstract

We have studied the heat capacities of heliums adsorbed in Na-Y zeolite down to 70 mK. The Y-type zeolite has void cages 1.3 nm in diameter connected through narrow apertures 0.8 nm in diameter. In the nanopores at low temperatures, the second-layer He adatoms can be confined in each cage by the first solid layer. In the quantum fluid region above the second-layer promotion, where the heat capacities show qualitative differences between ⁴He and ³He, the heat capacities of ³He adatoms and the thermal relaxation processes show large and non-monotonic changes when one ³He atom is added in each cage. These results strongly suggest that the quantum fluid formed in Na-Y zeolite is not fluid film spread over the entire substrate but quantum clusters confined in each cage.