Abstract

The phase diagram for the orientational ordering of 2D films of ortho–para H 2 mixtures has been explored for both commensurate and incommensurate monolayer coverages on hexagonal BN. NMR techniques were used to study ortho concentrations 0.30<x<0.74and temperatures 0.05 <T<4.2. Three distinctly different classes of line shapes were observed and we interpret these in terms of the different phases predicted for the orientational ordering in 2D. At high concentrations a Pake doublet line shape was observed which is characteristic of the pinwheel (PW) ordering predicted by Harris and Berlinsky. For intermediate concentrations a distinctive helmet shaped NMR line is observed which is the signature of a quadrupolar glass state. This line shape was seen only for commensurate coverages. At low concentrations (x<0.45) a new very sharply defined Pake doublet shape is seen which corresponds to a very narrow distribution of order parameters. We interpret this latter phase as a herringbone (HB) ordering.

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