Fermion Condensation in Finite Systems

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Here we consider another example of systems, in which fermion condensation takes place. These are what is called finite Fermi systems, i.e. systems with finite number of fermions, contrary to a solid, where the number of electrons is practically infinite. An example of a finite Fermi system is an atomic nucleus, having finite number of nucleons, protons and neutrons, which are fermions. Here we show that the fermion condensation manifests itself in finite Fermi systems as a forced merger of all, discreet for finite systems, single-particle levels, lying near the Fermi surface. On the first sight, this merger contradicts the standard Landau quasiparticle picture. Nevertheless, similar to infinite systems, this is just the generalization of well-known Landau paradigm as for finite systems it is suitable to describe the restructuring (merging) of states at the Fermi surface. To demonstrate how this merging works, we show that the merging of the spin- and valley-split Landau levels at the chemical potential is an intrinsic property of a strongly-interacting two-dimensional electron system in silicon. Evidence for the level merging is given by available experimental data.