Crossover from Two- to Three-Dimensional Behavior in Superfluids

Abstract

We have studied the superfluid density ${\rho }_s$ on various size-lattices in the geometry $L\times L\times H$ by numerical simulation of the $x-y$ model using the Cluster Monte Carlo method. Applying the Kosterlitz-Thouless-Nelson renormalization group equations for the superfluid density we have been able to extrapolate to the $L\to \infty$ limit for a given value of $H$. In the superfluid phase we find that the superfluid density faithfully obeys the expected scaling law with $H$, using the experimental value for the critical exponent $\nu =0.6705$. For the sizes of film thickness studied here the critical temperature $T_c$ and the coefficient $b$ entering the equation $T/({\rho }_{s}H)\propto 1-b(1-T/T_c{)}^{1/2}$ are in agreement with the expected $H$-dependence deduced from general scaling ideas.

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