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.