Eur. Phys. J. E (2003) 12: 63-68
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2003-10024-8

Dynamics of quantum liquids in confinement, theory and experiment

¹ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, DE 19711, Newark, USA
² Institut Laue-Langevin, BP 156, 38042, Grenoble, France
³ NIST Centre for Neutron Research, NIST, MD, 20899, Gaithersburg, USA
⁴ Centre de Recherche sur les Trés Basses Températures, CNRS, BP 166, 38042, Grenoble, France
⁵ ISIS Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, OX11 0QX, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon, United Kingdom
⁶ Département de Recherche Fondamentale sur la Matiére Condensée, SPSMS, CEA, 38054, Grenoble, France

^* e-mail: glyde@physics.udel.edu

Abstract

Liquid ⁴He immersed in porous media such as aerogel, Vycor, and Geltech silica are excellent examples of bosons in disorder and confinement. Of special interest is the impact of disorder on Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC), on the elementary excitations of the superfluid and on their connection to the superfluid properties. Indeed, the modifications induced by disorder can be used to reveal the interdependence of BEC, the excitations and superfluidity. To date, the superfluid properties in porous media are much more completely documented than BEC or the excitations. In this paper, we review measurements of the excitations by neutron scattering, focusing particularly on their temperature dependence and the existence of phonon-roton excitations at higher temperatures. The weight of single excitation response at higher temperatures suggests the existence of localized BEC above the superfluid-normal transition temperature in porous media. We sketch several recent predictions made for BEC, the excitations, and the superfluid properties in disorder. Connections with other “Dirty Bose systems” are made.