When superfluidity meets superconductivity - extraction of 3He isotope from liquid helium

When superfluidity meets superconductivity - extraction of 3He isotope from liquid helium | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Physical Sciences - Article When superfluidity meets superconductivity - extraction of 3 He isotope from liquid helium Wojciech Kempiński, Piotr Banat, Mateusz Kempiński, Zbigniew Trybuła, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4613870/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Archived Versions: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this older preprint version Read the latest preprint version → Abstract The world needs clean energy. One of the most promising ways of producing it in large amounts is the helium3–deuterium ( 3 He-D) fusion reaction. Although there are numerous sources of 3 He on Earth, most of them are either difficult to access or unprofitable to operate, which results in its deep shortage 1 . As a matter of great importance, this problem was reported to American Congress 2 where, among other possibilities, the extraction of the 3 He from the liquid helium was considered. The main problem underlying the shortage of 3 He is the lack of an effective method of obtaining this isotope. Here we report the results of quantum filtration of 3 He from liquid helium in a superfluid state (below the l-transition), with the use of an entropy filter made of a high-temperature superconductor YBCO-123. During operation of the so-called fountain effect generated with this filter, unlike the other filters, we observed a strong increase of 3 He concentration downstream, where only pure 4 He was expected. This effect occurred due to the unique combination of two quantum phenomena – superfluidity and superconductivity, leading to the observation of a low-temperature rectification-like process. This process would be considerably more economical than filtration, as rectification could be operated above the l-transition. Moreover, micro-superconductors could be applied also to the extraction of deuterium, thus allowing the same method to be used for both crucial components of the 3 He-D fusion. This method should be easy to upscale and could be used in space (with less energy input) as 3 He, the crucial isotope for future energy, is also sought beyond the Earth 3,4 . Physical sciences/Physics/Applied physics Physical sciences/Energy science and technology/Nuclear energy/Nuclear fuel Physical sciences/Materials science/Condensed-matter physics/Bose–Einstein condensates Physical sciences/Materials science/Condensed-matter physics/Superconducting properties and materials Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SIVideo1.mp4 SI Video 1. Thermomechanical effect (fountain effect). SIVideo2.mp4 SI Video 2. The efficiency of the filter as a volumetric flow vs time. SIGuide.docx SI Videos 1 and 2. ExtendedData.docx Extended Data Cite Share Download PDF Archived Versions: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this older preprint version Read the latest preprint version → Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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One of the most promising ways of producing it in large amounts is the helium3–deuterium (\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003eHe-D) fusion reaction. Although there are numerous sources of \u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003eHe on Earth, most of them are either difficult to access or unprofitable to operate, which results in its deep shortage\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e. As a matter of great importance, this problem was reported to American Congress\u003csup\u003e2 \u003c/sup\u003ewhere, among other possibilities, the extraction of the \u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003eHe from the liquid helium was considered. The main problem underlying the shortage of \u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003eHe is the lack of an effective method of obtaining this isotope. Here we report the results of quantum filtration of \u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003eHe from liquid helium in a superfluid state (below the l-transition), with the use of an entropy filter made of a high-temperature superconductor YBCO-123. During operation of the so-called \u003cem\u003efountain effect \u003c/em\u003egenerated with this filter, unlike the other filters, we observed a strong increase of \u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003eHe concentration downstream, where only pure \u003csup\u003e4\u003c/sup\u003eHe was expected. This effect occurred due to the unique combination of two quantum phenomena – superfluidity and superconductivity, leading to the observation of a low-temperature rectification-like process. This process would be considerably more economical than filtration, as rectification could be operated above the\u003cbr\u003e\nl-transition. Moreover, micro-superconductors could be applied also to the extraction of deuterium, thus allowing the same method to be used for both crucial components of the \u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003eHe-D fusion. This method should be easy to upscale and could be used in space (with less energy input) as \u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003eHe, the crucial isotope for future energy, is also sought beyond the Earth\u003csup\u003e3,4\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"When superfluidity meets superconductivity - extraction of 3He isotope from liquid helium","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":2,"date":"2024-11-11 04:28:28","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4613870/v2","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-04-21T06:41:55+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-04-18T09:53:50+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"214801053358319571118107446320135321734","date":"2025-03-21T02:38:19+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"296155037440309369746545211502563486598","date":"2025-02-05T21:43:56+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2024-12-23T10:12:36+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"28230757961510451901225116547696692971","date":"2024-12-15T14:27:49+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"236325706469861774518731030455142625947","date":"2024-11-10T08:23:32+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2024-11-06T17:01:21+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2024-11-06T16:54:51+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2024-11-04T16:43:17+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2024-10-30T06:36:10+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Scientific Reports","date":"2024-10-11T11:50:39+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"8914b0e9-077d-4efd-bccd-247a81b9e606","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 12th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":40173409,"name":"Physical sciences/Physics/Applied physics"},{"id":40173410,"name":"Physical sciences/Energy science and technology/Nuclear energy/Nuclear fuel"},{"id":40173411,"name":"Physical sciences/Materials science/Condensed-matter physics/Bose\u0026#x2013;Einstein condensates"},{"id":40173412,"name":"Physical sciences/Materials science/Condensed-matter physics/Superconducting properties and materials"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-07-07T16:21:22+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-4613870","link":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05542-8","journal":{"identity":"scientific-reports","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Scientific Reports"},"publishedOn":"2025-07-02 15:58:52","publishedOnDateReadable":"July 2nd, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2024-11-12 09:15:06","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1038/s41598-025-05542-8","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05542-8","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4613870","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4613870","identity":"rs-4613870","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}