arXiv · 2603.10974
Commensurate-Incommensurate Transition in Submonolayer $^3$He on Graphite
Abstract
We report high-precision heat-capacity measurements of submonolayer $^3$He adsorbed on highly crystalline graphite, revealing new aspects of the commensurate$-$incommensurate transition. Below 1\~K, two possible striped domain-wall phases emerge: $\alpha_1$ with variable wall spacing and $\alpha_2$ with fixed spacing. The $T$-linear heat capacity in $\alpha_1$ arises from one-dimensional phonons along the walls. $\alpha_2$ melts into $\alpha_1$ at a critical density via a second-order transition, consistent with a quantum nematic (quantum liquid-crystal) state in $\alpha_1$, and reconciling thermodynamic and prior nuclear-magnetic data.
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A. Kumashita, J. Usami, S. Komatsu, Y. Yamane, S. Miyasaka, H. Fukuyama, A. Yamaguchi. 2026-03-10. Commensurate-Incommensurate Transition in Submonolayer $^3$He on Graphite. https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.10974
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