Quasi-1D parahydrogen in nanopores

Abstract

The low temperature physics of parahydrogen (ph2) confined in cylindrical channels of diameter of the order of 1 nm is studied theoretically by Quantum Monte Carlo simulations. On varying the attractive strength of the wall of the cylindrical pore, as well as its diameter, the equilibrium phase evolves from a single quasi-1D channel along the axis, to a concentric cylindrical shell. It is found that the quasi-1D system retains a strong propensity to crystallization, even though on weakly attractive substrates quantum fluctuations reduce somewhat such a tendency compared to the purely 1D system. No evidence of a topologically protected superfluid phase (in the Luttinger sense) is observed. Implications on the possible existence of a bulk superfluid phase of parahydrogen are discussed