Magnetic phase transition in a nanonetwork of solid He3 in aerogel

Abstract

When immersed in liquid He3, the nanometer strands of aerogel are coated with a thin layer of solid He3, forming a network of irregular nanotubes. Owing to its high purity and weak interactions, this system is ideal for studying fundamental processes. We report the first experiments on solid He3 in aerogel at ultralow temperatures, cooled by direct adiabatic demagnetization. Simultaneous nuclear magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity measurements indicate a magnetic phase transition. © 2010 The American Physical Society.