title: Nucleation and interfacial coupling between pure and dirty superfluid phases of 3He.
abstract: The nucleation of the first-order phase transition of superfluid 3He-B from superfluid 3He-A is quite remarkable since it requires a seed of the order of a micron. We have studied this nucleation for 3He confined to a very dilute silica aerogel. This dirty superfluid behaves in a manner similar to previous reports for the pure superfluid. But we have discovered a novel magnetically driven nucleation switch acting on the pure superfluid- B phase. Last, we find the surprising result that the proximity effect between the pure and dirty superfluids at their interface is insufficient to nucleate the B phase in either superfluid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gervais
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yawata
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mulders
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Halperin