π-phase and Spontaneous Supercurrent induced by Pseudo-ferromagnetic Junction in a Spin-polarized Superfluid Fermi Gas

Abstract

We theoretically investigate a possible spontaneous current state in a polarized superfluid Fermi gas confined in a toroidal trap. When one puts a weak nonmagnetic potential barrier in this system, this barrier is known to be magnetized in the sense that some of excess ↑-spin atoms are localized around it (where the ↑-spin describes the majority component of the polarized Fermi gas). Using this unique property, we show that this magnetized barrier, or the pseudo-ferromagnetic junction, induces a spontaneous current circulating along the toroidal trap. While the ordinary supercurrent state appears as a metastable state, this spontaneous current state is realized as the most stable state, originating from the phase twist of the superfluid order parameter by the magnetized potential barrier.