Observation of the density dependence of the closed-channel fraction of a 6Li superfluid.

Abstract

Atomic Fermi gases provide an ideal platform for studying pairing and superfluid physics, using a Feshbach resonance between closed-channel molecular states and open-channel scattering states. Of particular interest is the strongly interacting regime. We show that the closed-channel fraction [Formula: see text] provides an effective probe for important many-body interacting effects, especially through its density dependence, which is absent from two-body theoretical predictions. Here we measure [Formula: see text] as a function of interaction strength and the Fermi temperature [Formula: see text] in a trapped 6Li superfluid throughout the entire Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer-Bose-Einstein-condensate crossover, in quantitative agreement with theory when important thermal contributions outside the superfluid core are taken into account. Away from the deep-BEC regime, the fraction [Formula: see text] is sensitive to [Formula: see text]. In particular, our data show [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] at unitarity, in quantitative agreement with calculations of a two-channel pairing fluctuation theory, and [Formula: see text] increases rapidly into the BCS regime, reflecting many-body interaction effects as predicted.