Ultracold Atomic Fermi Gases Research Articles

Umklapp superradiance with a collisionless quantum degenerate Fermi gas.

The quantum dynamics of the electromagnetic light mode of an optical cavity filled with a coherently driven Fermi gas of ultracold atoms strongly depends on the geometry of the Fermi surface. Superradiant light generation and self-organization of the atoms can be achieved at low pumping threshold due to resonant atom-photon umklapp processes, where the fermions are scattered from one side of the Fermi surface to the other by exchanging photon momenta. The cavity spectrum exhibits sidebands that, despite strong atom-light coupling and cavity decay, retain narrow linewidth, due to absorptionless transparency windows outside the atomic particle-hole continuum and the suppression of broadening and thermal fluctuations in the collisionless Fermi gas.

Probing the critical exponent of the superfluid fraction in a strongly interacting Fermi gas

We theoretically investigate the critical behavior of a second-sound mode in a harmonically trapped ultracold atomic Fermi gas with resonant interactions. Near the superfluid phase transition with critical temperature ${T}_{c}$, the frequency or the sound velocity of the second-sound mode crucially depends on the critical exponent $\ensuremath{\beta}$ of the superfluid fraction. In an isotropic harmonic trap, we predict that the mode frequency diverges like ${(1\ensuremath{-}T/{T}_{c})}^{\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{-}1/2}$ when $\ensuremath{\beta}<1/2$. In a highly elongated trap, the speed of the second sound reduces by a factor of $1/\sqrt{2\ensuremath{\beta}+1}$ from that in a homogeneous three-dimensional superfluid. Our prediction could readily be tested by measurements of second-sound wave propagation in a setup, such as that exploited by Sidorenkov et al. [Nature (London) 498, 78 (2013)] for resonantly interacting lithium-6 atoms, once the experimental precision is improved.

Artificial Graphene with Tunable Interactions

We create an artificial graphene system with tunable interactions and study the crossover from metallic to Mott insulating regimes, both in isolated and coupled two-dimensional honeycomb layers. The artificial graphene consists of a two-component spin mixture of an ultracold atomic Fermi gas loaded into a hexagonal optical lattice. For strong repulsive interactions, we observe a suppression of double occupancy and measure a gapped excitation spectrum. We present a quantitative comparison between our measurements and theory, making use of a novel numerical method to obtain Wannier functions for complex lattice structures. Extending our studies to time-resolved measurements, we investigate the equilibration of the double occupancy as a function of lattice loading time.

Fulde-Ferrell pairing instability of a Rashba spin-orbit-coupled Fermi gas

We theoretically analyze the pairing instability of a three-dimensional ultracold atomic Fermi gas towards a Fulde-Ferrell superfluid, in the presence of Rashba spin-orbit coupling and in-plane Zeeman field. We use the standard Thouless criterion for the onset of superfluidity, with which the effect of pair fluctuations is partially taken into account by approximately using a mean-field chemical potential at zero temperature. This gives rise to an improved prediction of the superfluid transition temperature beyond mean-field, particularly in the strong-coupling unitary limit. We also investigate the pairing instability with increasing Rashba spin-orbit coupling, along the crossover from a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer superfluid to a Bose-Einstein condensate of Rashbons (i.e., the tightly bound state of two fermions formed by strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling

Antiferrosmectic ground state of two-component dipolar Fermi gases: An analog of meson condensation in nuclear matter

We show that an antiferrosmectic-$C$ phase has lower energy at high densities than the nonmagnetized Fermi gas and ferronematic phases in an ultracold gas of fermionic atoms, or molecules, with large magnetic dipole moments. This phase, which is analogous to meson condensation in dense nuclear matter, is a one-dimensional periodic structure in which the fermions localize in layers with their pseudospin direction aligned parallel to the layers and staggered layer by layer.

Intrinsic Photoconductivity of Ultracold Fermions in Optical Lattices

We report on the experimental observation of an analog to a persistent alternating photocurrent in an ultracold gas of fermionic atoms in an optical lattice. The dynamics is induced and sustained by an external harmonic confinement. While particles in the excited band exhibit long-lived oscillations with a momentum-dependent frequency, a strikingly different behavior is observed for holes in the lowest band. An initial fast collapse is followed by subsequent periodic revivals. Both observations are fully explained by mapping the system onto a nonlinear pendulum.

Universal Impurity-Induced Bound State in Topological Superfluids

We predict a universal midgap bound state in topological superfluids, induced by either nonmagnetic or magnetic impurities in the strong scattering limit. This universal state is similar to the lowest-energy Caroli-de Gennes-Martricon bound state in a vortex core, but is bound to localized impurities. We argue that the observation of such a universal bound state can be a clear signature for identifying topological superfluids. We theoretically examine our argument for a spin-orbit coupled ultracold atomic Fermi gas trapped in a two-dimensional harmonic potential by performing extensive self-consistent calculations within the mean-field Bogoliubov-de Gennes theory. A realistic scenario for observing a universal bound state in ultracold 40K atoms is proposed.

Validity of a single-channel model for a spin-orbit-coupled atomic Fermi gas near Feshbach resonances

We theoretically investigate a Rashba spin-orbit-coupled Fermi gas near Feshbach resonances, by using mean-field theory and a two-channel model that takes into account explicitly Feshbach molecules in the closed channel. In the absence of spin-orbit coupling, when the channel coupling $g$ between the closed and the open channels is strong, it is widely accepted that the two-channel model is equivalent to a single-channel model that excludes Feshbach molecules. This is the so-called broad resonance limit, which is well satisfied by ultracold atomic Fermi gases of ${}^{6}$Li atoms and ${}^{40}$K atoms in current experiments. Here, with Rashba spin-orbit coupling we find that the condition for equivalence becomes much more stringent. As a result, the single-channel model may already be insufficient to describe properly an atomic Fermi gas of ${}^{40}$K atoms at a moderate spin-orbit coupling. We determine a characteristic channel coupling strength ${g}_{c}$ as a function of the spin-orbit-coupling strength, above which the single-channel and two-channel models are approximately equivalent. We also find that for narrow resonance with small-channel coupling, the pairing gap and molecular fraction are strongly suppressed by SO coupling. Our results can be readily tested in ${}^{40}$K atoms by using optical molecular spectroscopy.

Heat and spin transport in a cold atomic Fermi gas

Motivated by recent experiments measuring the spin transport in ultracold unitary atomic Fermi gases [Sommer et al., Nature (London) 472, 201 (2011); Sommer et al., New J. Phys. 13, 055009 (2011)], we explore the theory of spin and heat transport in a three-dimensional spin-polarized atomic Fermi gas. We develop estimates of spin and thermal diffusivities and discuss magnetocaloric effects, namely the the spin Seebeck and spin Peltier effects. We estimate these transport coefficients using a Boltzmann kinetic equation in the classical regime and present experimentally accessible signatures of the spin Seebeck effect. We study an exactly solvable model that illustrates the role of momentum-dependent scattering in the magnetocaloric effects.

Strongly correlated quantum fluids: ultracold quantum gases, quantum chromodynamic plasmas and holographic duality

Strongly correlated quantum fluids are phases of matter that are intrinsically quantum mechanical and that do not have a simple description in terms of weakly interacting quasiparticles. Two systems that have recently attracted a great deal of interest are the quark–gluon plasma, a plasma of strongly interacting quarks and gluons produced in relativistic heavy ion collisions, and ultracold atomic Fermi gases, very dilute clouds of atomic gases confined in optical or magnetic traps. These systems differ by 19 orders of magnitude in temperature, but were shown to exhibit very similar hydrodynamic flows. In particular, both fluids exhibit a robustly low shear viscosity to entropy density ratio, which is characteristic of quantum fluids described by holographic duality, a mapping from strongly correlated quantum field theories to weakly curved higher dimensional classical gravity. This review explores the connection between these fields, and also serves as an introduction to the focus issue of New Journal of Physics on ‘Strongly Correlated Quantum Fluids: From Ultracold Quantum Gases to Quantum Chromodynamic Plasmas’. The presentation is accessible to the general physics reader and includes discussions of the latest research developments in all three areas.

Momentum-resolved radio-frequency spectroscopy of ultracold atomic Fermi gases in a spin-orbit-coupled lattice

We investigate theoretically momentum-resolved radio-frequency (rf) spectroscopy of a noninteracting atomic Fermi gas in a spin-orbit coupled lattice. This lattice configuration has been recently created at MIT [Cheuk et al., arXiv:1205.3483] for 6Li atoms, by coupling the two hyperfine spin-states with a pair of Raman laser beams and additional rf coupling. Here, we show that momentum-resolved rf spectroscopy can measure single-particle energies and eigenstates and therefore resolve the band structure of the spin-orbit coupled lattice. In our calculations, we take into account the effects of temperatures and harmonic traps. Our predictions are to be confronted with future experiments on spin-orbit coupled Fermi gases of 40K atoms in a lattice potential.

Manipulating Majorana fermions in one-dimensional spin-orbit-coupled atomic Fermi gases

Majorana fermions are promising candidates for storing and processing information in topological quantum computation. The ability to control such individual information carriers in trapped ultracold atomic Fermi gases is a novel theme in quantum information science. However, fermionic atoms are neutral and thus are difficult to manipulate. Here, we theoretically investigate the control of emergent Majorana fermions in one-dimensional spin-orbit-coupled atomic Fermi gases. We discuss (i) how to move Majorana fermions by increasing or decreasing an effective Zeeman field, which acts like a solid-state control voltage gate, and (ii) how to create a pair of Majorana fermions by adding a magnetic impurity potential. We discuss the experimental realization of our control scheme in an ultracold Fermi gas of ${}^{40}$K atoms.

On the role of the uncertainty principle in superconductivity and superfluidity

We discuss the general interplay between the uncertainty principle and the onset of dissipationless transport phenomena such as superconductivity and superfluidity. We argue that these phenomena are possible because of the robustness of many-body quantum states with respect to the external environment, which is directly related to the uncertainty principle as applied to coordinates and momenta of the carriers. In the case of superconductors, this implies relationships between macroscopic quantities such as critical temperature and critical magnetic field, and microscopic quantities such as the amount of spatial squeezing of a Cooper pair and its correlation time. In the case of ultracold atomic Fermi gases, this should be paralleled by a connection between the critical temperature for the onset of superfluidity and the corresponding critical velocity. Tests of this conjecture are finally sketched with particular regard to the understanding of the behaviour of superconductors under external pressures or mesoscopic superconductors, and the possibility to mimic these effects in ultracold atomic Fermi gases using Feshbach resonances and atomic squeezed states.

Probing Majorana fermions in spin-orbit-coupled atomic Fermi gases

We examine theoretically the visualization of Majorana fermions in a two-dimensional trapped ultracold atomic Fermi gas with spin-orbit coupling. By increasing an external Zeeman field, the trapped gas transits from non-topological to topological superfluid, via a mixed phase in which both types of superfluids coexist. We show that the zero-energy Majorana fermion, supported by the topological superfluid and localized at the vortex core, is clearly visible through (i) the core density and (ii) the local density of states, which are readily measurable in experiment. We present a realistic estimate on experimental parameters for ultracold $^{40}$K atoms.

Universal dynamic structure factor of a strongly correlated Fermi gas

Universality of strongly interacting fermions is a topic of great interest in diverse fields. Here we investigate theoretically the universal dynamic density response of resonantly interacting ultracold Fermi atoms in the limit of either high temperature or large frequency. At high temperature, we use quantum virial expansion to derive universal, nonperturbative expansion functions of the dynamic structure factor; at large momentum, we conjecture that the second-order expansion function gives the Wilson coefficient used in the operator product expansion method. The dynamic structure factor is therefore determined by its second-order expansion function with an overall normalization factor given by Tan's [S. Tan, Ann. Phys. (NY) 323, 2952 (2008); S. Tan, Ann. Phys. (NY) 323, 2971 (2008); S. Tan, Ann. Phys. (NY) 323, 2987 (2008)] contact parameter. We show that the spin-parallel and -antiparallel dynamic structure factors have, respectively, a tail of the form $\ensuremath{\sim}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}{\ensuremath{\omega}}^{\ensuremath{-}5/2}$ for $\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$, decaying slower than the total dynamic structure factor found previously ($\ensuremath{\sim}{\ensuremath{\omega}}^{\ensuremath{-}7/2}$). Our predictions for the dynamic structure factor at high temperature or large frequency are testable using Bragg spectroscopy for ultracold atomic Fermi gases.

Functional renormalization for the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer to Bose–Einstein condensation crossover

We review the functional renormalization group (RG) approach to the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer to Bose-Einstein condensation (BCS-BEC) crossover for an ultracold gas of fermionic atoms. Formulated in terms of a scale-dependent effective action, the functional RG interpolates continuously between the atomic or molecular microphysics and the macroscopic physics on large length scales. We concentrate on the discussion of the phase diagram as a function of the scattering length and the temperature, which is a paradigm example for the non-perturbative power of the functional RG. A systematic derivative expansion provides for both a description of the many-body physics and its expected universal features as well as an accurate account of the few-body physics and the associated BEC and BCS limits.

Quantum criticality and universal scaling of strongly attractive spin-imbalanced Fermi gases in a one-dimensional harmonic trap

We investigate thermodynamics and quantum criticality of strongly attractive Fermi gases confined in a one-dimensional (1D) harmonic trap. Finite temperature density profiles, entropy, compressibility and susceptibility of the trapped gas are studied using analytic results for the thermodynamics within the local density approximation. We demonstrate that current experiments are capable of measuring universal Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid physics and quantum criticality of 1D strongly interacting Fermi gases. The results provide insights on recent measurements of key features of the phase diagram of a spin-imbalanced atomic Fermi gas [Liao et al., Nature 467, 567 (2010)] and point to further study of quantum critical phenomena in ultracold atomic Fermi gases.

Spin drag in ultracold Fermi mixtures with repulsive interactions

We calculate the spin-drag relaxation rate for a two-component ultracold atomic Fermi gas with positive scattering length between the two-spin components. In one dimension, we find that it vanishes linearly with temperature. In three dimensions, the spin-drag relaxation rate vanishes quadratically with temperature for sufficiently weak interactions. This quadratic temperature dependence is present, up to logarithmic corrections, in the two-dimensional (2D) case as well. For stronger interaction, the system exhibits a Stoner ferromagnetic phase transition in two and three dimensions. We show that the spin-drag relaxation rate is enhanced by spin fluctuations as the temperature approaches the critical temperature of this transition from above.

Detecting many-body entanglement in noninteracting ultracold atomic Fermi gases

We explore the possibility of detecting many-body entanglement using time-of-flight (TOF) momentum correlations in ultracold atomic fermi gases. In analogy to the vacuum correlations responsible for Bekenstein-Hawking black hole entropy, a partitioned atomic gas will exhibit particle-hole correlations responsible for entanglement entropy. The signature of these momentum correlations might be detected by a sensitive TOF type experiment.

Analytical thermodynamics of a strongly attractive three-component Fermi gas in one dimension

Ultracold three-component atomic Fermi gases in one dimension are expected to exhibit rich physics due to the presence of trions and different pairing states. Quantum phase transitions from the trion state into a paired phase and a normal Fermi liquid occur at zero temperature. We derive the analytical thermodynamics of strongly attractive three-component one-dimensional fermions with SU(3) symmetry via the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz method in unequal Zeeman splitting fields ${H}_{1}$ and ${H}_{2}$. We find explicitly that for low temperature the system acts like either a two-component or a three-component Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid dependent on the system parameters. The phase diagrams for the chemical potential and specific heat are presented for illustrative values of the Zeeman splitting. We also demonstrate that crossover between different Tomonaga-Luttinger-liquid phases exhibit singular behavior in specific heat and entropy as the temperature tends to zero. Beyond Tomonaga-Luttinger-liquid physics, we obtain the equation of state which provides a precise description of universal thermodynamics and quantum criticality in three-component, strongly attractive Fermi gases.