Chemical reaction of surface state electrons on liquid helium with atomic hydrogen

Abstract

Chemical reaction in a two-dimensional mixture of electrons and atomic hydrogen (H) on the surface of superfluid 4He was observed. By monitoring the conductivity of surface state electrons with Corbino electrode, small amount of H atoms were introduced. Hydrogen destroyed the conductivity signal and we believe it is because of electron capture reaction, H+e −→H −. The reaction rates increased as the temperature decreased and it saturated below 200 mK. This temperature dependence agrees with our analysis which assumes that the chemical process takes place only in the surface state.