Novel superfluidity in a trapped gas of Fermi atoms with repulsive interaction loaded on an optical lattice

We investigate a possibility of superfluidity in a trapped gas of Fermi atoms with a repulsive interaction in the presence of an optical lattice. Applying the exact diagonalization method to a one-dimensional Hubbard model including the trap potential, we find that, when the strength of the repulsive interaction exceeds a critical value, the binding energy of two Fermi atoms becomes negative below the half-filling case, indicating that an attractive interaction effectively works between Fermi atoms. In this case, a "Mott insulating core" appears in the center of the trap, where each site is occupied by one atom. The Cooper-pair correlation strongly develops between atoms in the left- and right-hand sides of this core.     

BCS-BEC crossover in 2D Fermi gases with Rashba spin-orbit coupling

We present a systematic theoretical study of the BCS-BEC crossover in two-dimensional Fermi gases with Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC). By solving the exact two-body problem in the presence of an attractive short-range interaction we show that the SOC enhances the formation of the bound state: the binding energy E(B) and effective mass m(B) of the bound state grows along with the increase of the SOC. For the many-body problem, even at weak attraction, a dilute Fermi gas can evolve from a BCS superfluid state to a Bose condensation of molecules when the SOC becomes comparable to the Fermi momentum. The ground-state properties and the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) transition temperature are studied, and analytical results are obtained in various limits. For large SOC, the BKT transition temperature recovers that for a Bose gas with an effective mass m(B). We find that the condensate and superfluid densities have distinct behaviors in the presence of SOC: the condensate density is generally enhanced by the SOC due to the increase of the molecule binding; the superfluid density is suppressed because of the nontrivial molecule effective mass m(B).     

Normal state of highly polarized Fermi gases: The bound state

We consider a highly polarized Fermi gas with a single ↓ atom within a Fermi sea of ↑ atoms. We extend a preceding many-body analysis to the case where a bound state is formed between the ↓ atom and an ↑ atom.     

Magnetic impurities in a two-dimensional superfluid Fermi gas with spin-orbit coupling

We study magnetic impurities in a two dimensional superfluid Fermi gas with thespin-orbit coupling and find that the spin-orbit coupling makes some dramatic impacts onthe effects of magnetic impurities. For the single impurity problem, we find that thenumber of bound states localized around the magnetic impurity is doubled. For the finiteconcentration n of impurities, we find that the energy gap is reduced andthe density of states in the gapless region is greatly modified; there exists a gaplesssuperfluid and N(ω) ∝ ω in the smallω limit.     

Observation of resonance condensation of fermionic atom pairs

We have observed condensation of fermionic atom pairs in the BCS-BEC crossover regime. A trapped gas of fermionic 40K atoms is evaporatively cooled to quantum degeneracy and then a magnetic-field Feshbach resonance is used to control the atom-atom interactions. The location of this resonance is precisely determined from low-density measurements of molecule dissociation. In order to search for condensation on either side of the resonance, we introduce a technique that pairwise projects fermionic atoms onto molecules; this enables us to measure the momentum distribution of fermionic atom pairs. The transition to condensation of fermionic atom pairs is mapped out as a function of the initial atom gas temperature T compared to the Fermi temperature T(F) for magnetic-field detunings on both the BCS and BEC sides of the resonance.     

Confinement induced molecules in a 1D Fermi gas

We have observed two-particle bound states of atoms confined in a one-dimensional matter waveguide. These bound states exist irrespective of the sign of the scattering length, contrary to the situation in free space. Using radio-frequency spectroscopy we have measured the binding energy of these dimers as a function of the scattering length and confinement and find good agreement with theory. The strongly interacting one-dimensional Fermi gas which we create in an optical lattice represents a realization of a tunable Luttinger liquid.     

Crossover from BCS superconductivity to Bose-Einstein condensation: A self-consistent theory

A dilute three-dimensional Fermi liquid is considered with an instantaneous attractive short-range interaction. Two sets of self-consistent equations for the temperature dependent fermion Greens functiong and the four-point vertex function are derived by field theoretic means. The interaction is taken into account using the results of low energys-wave scattering theory. The crossover region between BCS superconductivity and Bose-Einstein condensation of tightly bound pairs is located near the threshold where in the two-particle scattering problem a virtual or quasi-stationary state turns into a bound state. We show how from our self-consistent equations the BCS theory and the theory of a superfluid Bose gas can be recovered in the weak and strong coupling limit, respectively. In the strong coupling limit we find that there is a repulsive interaction between the composite bosons due to the Pauli exclusion principle. It is described by a positive scattering lengtha _B which is twice the scattering length of the fermions,a _B =2a _F . Furthermore we find that this interaction reduces the Bose-Einstein transition temperature to leading order by T _c /T _{c, BE} =–(k _F a _F )³/3. We show that most of the previous theories of the crossover scenario can be obtained from our theory in mean-field approximation neglecting self consistency.     

Density and spin response of a strongly interacting Fermi gas in the attractive and quasirepulsive regime

Recent experimental advances in ultracold Fermi gases allow for exploring response functions under different dynamical conditions. In particular, the issue of obtaining a "quasirepulsive" regime starting from a Fermi gas with an attractive interparticle interaction while avoiding the formation of the two-body bound state is currently debated. Here, we provide a calculation of the density and spin response for a wide range of temperature and coupling both in the attractive and quasirepulsive regime, whereby the system is assumed to evolve nonadiabatically toward the "upper branch" of the Fermi gas. A comparison is made with the available experimental data for these two quantities.     

Phase transitions in a driven lattice gas at two temperatures

By suitably combining the uniformly driven lattice gas and the two-temperature kinetic Ising model, we obtain a generalized model that allows us to probe a variety of nonequilibrium phase transitions, including a type not previously observed. This new type of transition involves longitudinally ordered steady states, which are phase-segragated states with interface normalsparallel to the drive. Using computer simulations on a two-dimensional lattice gas, we map out the structure of the phase diagram, and the nature of the transitions, in the three-dimensional space of the drive and the two temperatures. While recovering anticipated results in most cases, we find one surprise, namely, that the transition from disorder to longitudinal order is continuous. Unless it turns out to be very weakly first order, this result is inconsistent with the expectation of field-theoretic renormalization group calculations.     

轨道Feshbach共振附近类碱土金属原子的杂质态问题

近年来,碱土金属原子和类碱土金属原子体系的研究成为冷原子物理的研究热点之一.特别是最近在~(173)Yb原子中发现的轨道Feshbach共振,使得研究有强相互作用的碱土金属和类碱土金属原子系统成为可能,极大扩展了此类原子体系的研究范围.本文介绍了~(173)Yb费米气体在轨道Feshbach共振附近的杂质态问题.在此问题中,位于~3P0态的杂质原子与处于基态的背景费米海相互作用,并在费米海表面产生分子态或极化子态.本文使用试探波函数的研究方法,首先对分子态和吸引极化子态进行介绍,并重点描述了分子态与吸引极化子态间的转变.其次归纳总结了排斥极化子态的相关性质,如有效质量、衰变率等.然后考虑双费米面情况,介绍在闭通道中引入另外一个费米面对系统产生的影响.最后简要介绍二维~(173)Yb费米气体中的杂质态问题.     

Synchronization in the BCS pairing dynamics as a critical phenomenon

Fermi gas with time-dependent pairing interaction hosts several different dynamical states. Coupling between the collective BCS pairing mode and individual Cooper pair states can make the latter either synchronize or dephase. We describe transition from phase-locked undamped oscillations to Landau-damped dephased oscillations in the collisionless, dissipationless regime as a function of coupling strength. In the dephased regime, we find a second transition at which the long-time asymptotic pairing amplitude vanishes. Using a combination of numerical and analytical methods we establish a continuous (type II) character of both transitions.     

Theory of a Heavy Particle Coupled with an Electron Gas

We study a heavy particle moving in metallic environment Which is represented by a bath of degenerate electron gas. Assuming that the Ferrni energy of the screening clcctrons is a large scale in comparison with tlrat of heavy particle, we calculate the partition furlction of the whole system by using functional integral techniques with Grassman variables. After integrating out the freedom of electron gas, it can be found that the hopping of the particle is suppressed by the bath. The effective action is treated self-consistently. We find that in the strong coupling limit the phase shift of the electron on the local Fermi surface tends to π/N , leading to the instability of Fermi sea and tlre formation of resonant state. A "Kondo" temperature is introduced to define the width of resonant state and to clraracterize the boundary from quantum to classical dyriamics of the particle as well.     

The two-dimensional Coulomb gas on a sphere: Exact results

At the special value of the reduced inverse temperature=2, the equilibrium statistical mechanics of a two-dimensional Coulomb gas confined to the surface of a sphere is an exactly solvable problem, just as it was for the Coulomb gas in a plane. The thermodynamic quantities and all the correlation functions can be calculated. Use is made of an isomorphism between the classical Coulomb gas and the free Fermi field theory associated with the Dirac operator on the sphere.Laboratory associated with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.     

Nature and properties of a repulsive Fermi gas in the upper branch of the energy spectrum

We generalize the Noziéres-Schmitt-Rink method to study the repulsive Fermi gas in the absence of molecule formation, i.e., in the so-called "upper branch." We find that the system remains stable except close to resonance at sufficiently low temperatures. With increasing scattering length, the energy density of the system attains a maximum at a positive scattering length before resonance. This is shown to arise from Pauli blocking which causes the bound states of fermion pairs of different momenta to disappear at different scattering lengths. At the point of maximum energy, the compressibility of the system is substantially reduced, leading to a sizable uniform density core in a trapped gas. The change in spin susceptibility with increasing scattering length is moderate and does not indicate any magnetic instability. These features should also manifest in Fermi gases with unequal masses and/or spin populations.     

Polarized Fermi condensates with unequal masses: tuning the tricritical point

We consider a two-component atomic Fermi gas within a mean-field, single-channel model, where both the mass and population of each component are unequal. We show that the tricritical point at zero temperature evolves smoothly from the BEC to BCS side of the resonance as a function of mass ratio r. We find that the interior gap state proposed by Liu and Wilczek is always unstable to phase separation, while the breached pair state with one Fermi surface for the excess fermions exhibits differences in its density of states and pair correlation functions depending on which side of the resonance it lies. Finally, we show that, when r greater, similar 3.95, the finite-temperature phase diagram of trapped gases at unitarity becomes topologically distinct from the equal mass system.     

Shortcut to a Fermi-degenerate gas of molecules via cooperative association

We theoretically examine the creation of a Fermi-degenerate gas of molecules by considering a photoassociation or Feshbach resonance applied to a degenerate Bose-Fermi mixture of atoms. This problem raises interest because, unlike bosons, fermions in general do not behave cooperatively, so that the collective conversion of a degenerate gas atoms into a macroscopic number of diatomic molecules is not to be expected. Nevertheless, we find that the coupled Fermi system displays collective Rabi-like oscillations and a rapid adiabatic passage between atoms and molecules, thereby mimicking Bose-Einstein statistics. Cooperative association of a degenerate mixture of Bose and Fermi gases could therefore serve as a shortcut to a degenerate gas of Fermi molecules.     

Dirac semimetal in three dimensions

We show that the pseudorelativistic physics of graphene near the Fermi level can be extended to three dimensional (3D) materials. Unlike in phase transitions from inversion symmetric topological to normal insulators, we show that particular space groups also allow 3D Dirac points as symmetry protected degeneracies. We provide criteria necessary to identify these groups and, as an example, present ab initio calculations of β-cristobalite BiO(2) which exhibits three Dirac points at the Fermi level. We find that β-cristobalite BiO(2) is metastable, so it can be physically realized as a 3D analog to graphene.     

Itinerant ferromagnetism in an ultracold atom fermi gas

We address the possible occurrence of ultracold atom ferromagnetism by evaluating the free energy of a spin polarized Fermi gas to second order in its interaction parameter. We find that Hartree-Fock theory underestimates the tendency toward ferromagnetism, predict that the ferromagnetic transition is first order at low temperatures, and point out that the spin coherence time of gases prepared in a ferromagnetic state is strongly enhanced as the transition is approached. We relate our results to recent experiments.     

Spin polarized current in the ground state of superconductor-ferromagnet-insulator trilayers

We study the ground state properties of a superconductor-ferromagnet-insulator trilayer on the basis of a Hubbard Model featuring exchange splitting in the ferromagnet and electron-electron attraction in the superconductor. We solve the spin-polarized Hartree-Fock-Gorkov equations together with the Maxwell's equation (Ampere's law) fully self-consistently with respect to the order parameter and the current. For certain values of the exchange splitting we find that a spontaneous spin polarized current is generated in the ground state and is intimately related to Andreev bound states at the Fermi level. Moreover, the polarization of the current strongly depends on the band filling. Received 23 September 2002 / Received in final form 13 December 2002 Published online 1st April 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: m.a.krawiec@bristol.ac.uk     

Evolution of the vortex state in the BCS-BEC crossover of a quasi two-dimensional superfluid Fermi gas

We use the path-integral formalism to investigate the vortex properties of a quasi-two dimensional(2D) Fermi superfluid system trapped in an optical lattice potential.Within the framework of mean-field theory,the cooper pair density,the atom number density,and the vortex core size are calculated from weakly interacting BCS regime to strongly coupled while weakly interacting BEC regime.Numerical results show that the atoms gradually penetrate into the vortex core as the system evolves from BEC to BCS regime.Meanwhile,the presence of the optical lattice allows us to analyze the vortex properties in the crossover from three-dimensional(3D) to 2D case.Furthermore,using a simple re-normalization procedure,we find that the two-body bound state exists only when the interaction is stronger than a critical one denoted by G_c which is obtained as a function of the lattice potential's parameter.Finally,we investigate the vortex core size and find that it grows with increasing interaction strength.In particular,by analyzing the behavior of the vortex core size in both BCS and BEC regimes,we find that the vortex core size behaves quite differently for positive and negative chemical potentials.