Fully suspended nano-beams for quantum fluids

Abstract

Non-invasive probes are keystones of fundamental research. Their size, and maneuverability (in terms of e.g. speed, dissipated power) define their applicability range for a specific use. As such, solid state physics possesses e.g. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM), or Scanning SQUID Microscopy. In comparison, quantum fluids (superfluid 3 He, 4 He) are still lacking probes able to sense them (in a fully controllable manner) down to their smallest relevant lengthscales, namely the coherence length ξ0. In this work we report on the fabrication and cryogenic characterization of fully suspended (hanging over an open window, with no substrate underneath) Si3N4 nano-beams, of width down to 50 nm and quality factor up to 10 5 . As a benchmark experiment we used them to investigate the Knudsen boundary layer of a rarefied gas: 4 He at very low pressures. The absence of the rarefaction effect due to the nearby chip surface discussed in Gazizulin et al. [1] is attested, while we report on the effect of the probe size itself.