Solid Argon Films Under Nonequilibrium Conditions

Abstract Argon belongs to the class of rare and molecular gases that exhibit triple-point wetting, a regime in which adsorbed solid films remain only a few monolayers thick under thermodynamic equilibrium well below the triple point. Here we investigate the behavior of such films under nonequilibrium conditions, with particular emphasis on temperature gradients imposed within the sample cell. We show that these gradients can drive the formation of significantly thicker films than predicted by triple-point wetting theory. Our findings are motivated by, and possibly offer insight into, recent experiments with electron qubits above solid neon films, where film thicknesses substantially exceed equilibrium expectations.