670 research outputs found
Superfluidity of a perfect quantum crystal
In recent years, experimental data were published which point to the
possibility of the existence of superfluidity in solid helium. To investigate
this phenomenon theoretically we employ a hierarchy of equations for reduced
density matrices which describes a quantum system that is in thermodynamic
equilibrium below the Bose-Einstein condensation point, the hierarchy being
obtained earlier by the author. It is shown that the hierarchy admits solutions
relevant to a perfect crystal (immobile) in which there is a frictionless flow
of atoms, which testifies to the possibility of superfluidity in ideal solids.
The solutions are studied with the help of the bifurcation method and some
their peculiarities are found out. Various physical aspects of the problem,
among them experimental ones, are discussed as well.Comment: 24 pages with 2 figures, version accepted for publication in
Eur.Phys.J.
Origin of second-harmonic generation in the incommensurate phase of K2SeO4
We show that a ferroelectric phase transition takes place in the
incommensurate phase of the K2SeO4 crystal. The ferroelectric character of the
IC phase explains the second-harmonic generation observed in the corresponding
temperature range.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur
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