Quantum Tunneling in Single Component Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Systems

液体表面二维电子气的研究 氦和三维固体氦-4，重点是 电子或氦原子的量子隧穿的证据。 固体氦-4研究将使用超声波进行 衰减、热导率、热容和热脉冲 传播实验寻找准粒子激发， 缺陷的行为，和证据的形成， “超固体”--超流体的固态类似物。 电子从表面逃逸率的测量 液氦将进行，以表征 二维电子的基态和激发态 系统

Studies of two-dimensional electron gas on the surface of liquid helium, and three-dimensional solid helium-four, focussing on evidence for quantum tunnelling of electrons or helium atoms. The solid helium-four study will be conducted using ultrasonic attenuation, thermal conductivity, heat capacity and heat pulse propagation experiments to look for quasiparticle excitations, defect behavior, and evidence for the formation of a "supersolid"-- the solid state analogue of a superfluid. Measurements of the escape rate of electrons from the surface of liquid helium will be performed in order to characterize the groundstate and excitations of the two-dimensional electron system.