Pairing Fluctuations Research Articles

Isothermal Compressibility of an Ultracold Fermi Gas in the BCS–BEC Crossover

We theoretically investigate the isothermal compressibility $$\kappa _{\mathrm{T}}$$ in the normal state of an ultracold Fermi gas with a tunable attractive interaction. We calculate this thermodynamic quantity by considering fluctuations in the Cooper channel, within the framework of the self-consistent T-matrix approximation (SCTMA). For comparison, we also evaluate this quantity in a “non”-self-consistent T-matrix approximation (TMA). We show that the calculated $$\kappa _{\mathrm{T}}$$ diverges at $$T_{\mathrm{c}}$$ in the BCS–BEC crossover region. On the other hand, such a singular behavior is absent when we deal with this quantity in SCTMA. We point out that the origin of this difference is the neglect of an effective inter-pair interaction in the former approximation. We also explicitly show how such an interaction is involved in the theory when one deals with pairing fluctuations in SCTMA. Our results indicate that the isothermal compressibility is a useful quantity in considering how preformed Cooper pairs interact with one another in the BCS–BEC crossover regime of an ultracold Fermi gas.

Quantum fluctuations of a resonantly interacting p -wave Fermi superfluid in two dimensions

Using the Gaussian pair fluctuation theory, we investigate quantum fluctuations of a strongly interacting two-dimensional chiral \textit{p}-wave Fermi superfluid at the transition from a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) to a topologically non-trivial Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) superfluid. Near the topological phase transition at zero chemical potential, $\mu=0$, we observe that quantum fluctuations strongly renormalize the zero-temperature equations of state, sound velocity, pair-breaking velocity, and Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) critical temperature of the Fermi superfluid, all of which can be non-analytic functions of the interaction strength. The indication of non-analyticity is particularly evident in the BKT critical temperature, which also exhibits a pronounced peak near the topological phase transition. Across the transition and towards the BEC limit we find that the system quickly becomes a trivial interacting Bose liquid, whose properties are less dependent on the interparticle interaction. The qualitative behavior of composite bosons in the BEC limit remains to be understood.

Spectra of correlated many-electron systems: From a one- to a two-particle description

State-of-the-art spectroscopic techniques allow for a comprehensive understanding of one-electron excitations in various physically interesting and/or technologically relevant materials. While for weakly-correlated systems the corresponding one-particle spectral function A(ω, k) contains essentially all information about their physical properties the situation is much more complicated in the presence of strong electronic correlations. In fact, in the latter case different theoretical treatments often lead to very different explanations of the origin of specific features in the spectrum. A typical example is the pseudogap in the cuprates, i.e., the momentum-selective suppression of spectral weight at the Fermi level, which has been related to spin, charge or (d-wave) pairing fluctuations by different authors. This ambiguity about the underlying physical mechanism at work can be overcome by considering two-particle correlation functions as they are able to describe the collective modes of the system and can be also related to certain ground state properties. In this work, we will present different theoretical approaches for analyzing the spectrum of correlated systems by exploiting the information contained in these two-particle correlation functions. For the specific case of the pseudogap these procedures have allowed us (1) to identify antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations as microscopic origin of this spectral feature which (2) can be related to the formation of a resonating valence bond ground state in the system.

Majorana Doublets, Flat Bands, and Dirac Nodes in s-Wave Superfluids.

Topological superfluids protected by mirror and time-reversal symmetries are exotic states of matter possessing Majorana Kramers pairs (MKPs), yet their realizations have long been hindered by the requirement of unconventional pairing. We propose to realize such a topological superfluid by utilizing s-wave pairing and emergent mirror and time-reversal symmetries in two coupled 1D ultracold atomic Fermi gases with spin-orbit coupling. By stacking such systems into 2D, we discover topological and Dirac-nodal superfluids hosting distinct MKP flat bands. We show that the emergent symmetries make the MKPs and their flat bands stable against pairing fluctuations that otherwise annihilate Majorana pairs. Exploiting new experimental developments, our scheme provides a unique platform for exploring MKPs and their applications in quantum computation.

Nuclear pairing fluctuations and angular momentum dependence of superconductivity in 94Mo nucleus

The effects of thermal fluctuations on pairing properties of nuclei with inclusion of angular momentum have been investigated. To treat nuclei at finite temperature and angular momentum, we have extended the formalism in which the mean value of the gap parameter is used to obtain thermal properties of nuclei based on the BCS scheme [Z. Kargar and V. Dehghani, J. Phys. G, Nucl. Part. Phys. 40 (2013) 045108] let us name it MEGBCS. The results obtained for [Formula: see text] nucleus show the appearance of thermally assisted pairing correlations with increasing angular momentum. Also, the [Formula: see text]-shaped heat capacity found experimentally [K. Kaneko et al., Phys. Rev. C 74 (2006) 024325] and theoretically, interpreted as the second phase transition in mesoscopic systems, disappears with increasing angular momentum above a critical value. The nuclear level density of [Formula: see text] is calculated versus excitation energy at various values of total angular momentum. The total level density matches the experimental data closely.

Fermi surface evolution of the 2D Hubbard model within a novel four-pole approximation

We present a novel solution of the 2D Hubbard model in the framework of the Composite Operator Method within a four-pole approximation. We adopt a basis of four fields: the two Hubbard operators plus two fields describing the Hubbard transitions dressed by nearest-neighbor spin fluctuations. We include these nonlocal operators because spin fluctuations play a dominant role in strongly correlated electronic systems with respect to other types of nonlocal charge, pair and double-occupancy fluctuations. The approximate solution performs very well once compared with advanced (semi-) numerical methods from the weak-to the strong-coupling regime, being by far less computational-resource demanding. We adopt this solution to study the single-particle properties of the model in the strong coupling regime, where the effects of strong short-range magnetic correlations are more relevant and could be responsible for anomalous features. In particular, we will focus on the characterization of the Fermi surface and of its evolution with doping.

Gap equation with pairing correlations beyond the mean-field approximation and its equivalence to a Hugenholtz-Pines condition for fermion pairs

The equation for the gap parameter represents the main equation of the pairing theory of superconductivity. Although it is formally defined through a single-particle property, physically it reflects the pairing correlations between opposite-spin fermions. Here, we exploit this physical connection and cast the gap equation in an alternative form which explicitly highlights these two-particle correlations, by showing that it is equivalent to a Hugenholtz-Pines condition for fermion pairs. At a formal level, a direct connection is established in this way between the treatment of the condensate fraction in condensate systems of fermions and bosons. At a practical level, the use of this alternative form of the gap equation is expected to make easier the inclusion of pairing fluctuations beyond mean field. As a proof-of-concept of the new method, we apply the modified form of the gap equation to the long-pending problem about the inclusion of the Gorkov-Melik-Barkhudarov correction across the whole BCS-BEC crossover, from the BCS limit of strongly overlapping Cooper pairs to the BEC limit of dilute composite bosons, and for all temperatures in the superfluid phase. Our numerical calculations yield excellent agreement with the recently determined experimental values of the gap parameter for an ultra-cold Fermi gas in the intermediate regime between BCS and BEC, as well as with the available quantum Monte Carlo data in the same regime.

Least action description of spontaneous fission in fermium and nobelium nuclei based on the Gogny energy density functional

The systematic of the spontaneous fission half-lives for the nuclei $^{242-262}$Fm and $^{250-260}$No is analyzed, within a least action scheme, with the parametrization D1M of the Gogny energy density functional. The properties of the dynamic (least action) fission paths are analyzed and compared to those of the static (minimal energy) ones. The constrained Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov approximation is used to compute deformed mean-field configurations, zero-point quantum corrections and collective inertias. It is shown that a cumbersome full variational search of the least action fission path, within the space of HFB states, might not be required if the relevant degrees of freedom are taken into account in the minimization of the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin action. The action is minimized in terms of pairing fluctuations that explore the pairing content of the HFB states along the fission paths of the considered nuclei. It is found that, for a given shape, the minimum of the action in fermium and nobelium nuclei corresponds to a value of the pairing fluctuations larger than the one associated with the minimal energy solution for the same shape. The reduction of the action, via larger pairing correlations, has a significant impact on the predicted spontaneous fission half-lives improving their comparison with the experiment by several orders of magnitude.

The competition and coexistence of antiferromagnetism and d-wave superconductivity: probing coupled thermal fluctuations in a two dimensional minimal model

We consider the coexistence of antiferromagnetism and d-wave superconductivity, motivated by what one observes in the quasi-two dimensional organic salts. We study an electronic model that approximates some features of the Hubbard model, e.g., a repulsion that promotes local moments and Neel order, and an attractive intersite density–density coupling that promotes d-wave superconductivity. Staying at half-filling and a fixed attractive interaction we probe the effect of varying repulsion, using mean field theory for the ground state but retaining the full O(3) × U(1) spectrum of classical fluctuations at finite temperature. The ground state is superconducting at weak repulsion, a Neel ordered insulator at large repulsion, and a coexistence of the two orders in the intermediate regime. We observe four distinct kinds of thermal behaviour depending on the strength of repulsion. Starting with weak repulsion these are, first, a d-wave superconductor renormalised by magnetic fluctuations, second, a d-wave state transiting to an antiferromagnetic insulator and then to the normal state, third, a coexistent state transiting to the antiferromagnetic insulator and then the normal state, and, fourth, a Neel ordered insulator with weak pairing fluctuations. The low temperature state is either “nodal” or gapped, due to long range order, and the low energy spectral weight generally increases monotonically with temperature. At intermediate repulsion, however, the transition from the d-wave state to Neel antiferromagnet causes a loss of low energy weight which is gradually regained only at high temperature.

Short DNA persistence length in a mesoscopic helical model

The flexibility of short DNA chains is investigated via computation of the average correlation function between dimers which defines the persistence length. Path integration techniques have been applied to confine the phase space available to base pair fluctuations and derive the partition function. The apparent persistence lengths of a set of short chains have been computed as a function of the twist conformation both in the over-twisted and the untwisted regimes, whereby the equilibrium twist is selected by free energy minimization. The obtained values are significantly lower than those generally attributed to kilo-base long DNA. This points to an intrinsic helix flexibility at short length scales, arising from large fluctuational effects and local bending, in line with recent experimental indications. The interplay between helical untwisting and persistence length has been discussed for a heterogeneous fragment by weighing the effects of the sequence specificities through the non-linear stacking potential.

Dimensional crossover in the quasi-one-dimensional superconductor Tl2Mo6Se6

Long-range order in quasi-one-dimensional (q1D) arrays of superconducting nanowires is established via a dimensional crossover from a fluctuating 1D regime to a phase-coherent 3D ground state. If a homogeneous crystalline superconductor exhibits sufficiently high uniaxial anisotropy, a similar 1D$\rightarrow$3D crossover has been predicted to occur, provided that single-particle hopping transverse to the 1D axis is absent in the normal state. Here we present magnetic penetration depth and electrical transport data in single crystals of q1D Tl$_2$Mo$_6$Se$_6$, which reveal a 1D$\rightarrow$3D superconducting dimensional crossover. Both experimental techniques uncover multiple energy scales within the superconducting transition, which describe a sequence of fluctuating regimes. As the temperature is reduced below $T_{ons}=$~6.7~K, 1D pairing fluctuations are replaced by 1D phase slips below $T_p\sim$~5.9~K. These give way to 3D phase fluctuations below $T_{ab}=$~4.9~K, prior to dimensional crossover at $T_{x2}\sim$~4.4~K. The electrical resistivity below $T_{ab}$ is quantitatively consistent with the establishment of phase coherence through gradual binding of Josephson vortex strings to form 3D loops. An anomalously low superfluid density persist down to $\sim$3~K before rising steeply --- in agreement with a theoretical model for crossovers in q1D superconductors, and suggesting that a small population of unbound, weakly-pinned vortices survives below the crossover. The observation of a dimensional crossover within the superconducting state has important consequences for the low-temperature normal state in Tl$_2$Mo$_6$Se$_6$ and similar q1D metals, which may exhibit one-dimensional behavior over far greater temperature ranges than band structure calculations suggest.

Strong-coupling and finite-temperature effects on p -wave contacts

We investigate theoretically strong-coupling and finite-temperature effects on the $p$-wave contacts, as well as the asymptotic behavior of the momentum distribution in the large-momentum region in a one-component Fermi gas with a tunable $p$-wave interaction. Including $p$-wave pairing fluctuations within a strong-coupling theory, we calculate the $p$-wave contacts above the superfluid transition temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{c}}$ from the adiabatic energy relations. We show that, while the $p$-wave contact related to the scattering volume monotonically increases with increasing interaction strength, the one related to the effective range depends nonmonotonically on interaction strength and its sign changes in the intermediate-coupling regime. The nonmonotonic interaction dependence of these quantities is shown to originate from the competition between the increase of the cutoff momentum and the decrease of the coupling constant of the $p$-wave interaction with increasing effective range. We also analyze the asymptotic form of the momentum distribution in the large-momentum region. In contrast to the conventional $s$-wave case, we show that the asymptotic behavior cannot be completely described by only the $p$-wave contacts, and the extra terms, which are not related to the thermodynamic properties, appear. Furthermore, in the high-temperature region, we find that the extra terms dominate the subleading term of the large-momentum distribution. We also directly compare our results with the recent experimental measurement by including the effects of a harmonic trap potential within the local density approximation. We show that, while our model qualitatively explains the dependence on the interaction strength of the $p$-wave contacts, there are some quantitative disagreements between our theory and recent experiment; for example, the peak position of the $p$-wave contact related to the effective range. Since the $p$-wave contacts connect the microscopic properties to the thermodynamic properties of the system, our results would be helpful for further understanding many-body properties of this anisotropic interacting Fermi gas in the normal phase.

Anomalous Joule law in the adiabatic dynamics of a quantum dot in contact with normal-metal and superconducting reservoirs

We formulate a general theory to study the time-dependent charge and energy transport of an adiabatically driven quantum dot in contact to normal and superconducting reservoirs at T=0. This setup is a generalization of a quantum RC circuit, with capacitive components due to Andreev processes and induced pairing fluctuations, in addition to the convencional normal charge fluctuations. The dynamics for the dissipation of energy is ruled by a Joule law of four channels in parallel with the universal B\"uttiker resistance R_0=e^2/2h per channel. Two transport channels are associated to the two spin components of the usual charge fluctuations, while the other two are associated to electrons and holes due to pairing fluctuations. The latter leads to an "anomalous" component of the Joule law and take place with a vanishing net current due to the opposite flows of electrons and holes.

Nernst effect studies of Cooper pair fluctuations

In this proceeding, we summarize the experimental work leading to the discovery of the Nernst signal generated by Cooper pair fluctuations. We will show that this Nernst signal has remarkable characteristics that enable an unambiguous identification of these fluctuations. In particular, the Nernst coefficient evolves symmetrically with respect to temperature and magnetic field, reflecting the symmetric role of the correlation and magnetic lengths. In the field dependence of the Nernst signal, this leads to a characteristic maximum at the Ghost Critical Field, B*=Φ02πξ2. These results provide a solid reference against which studies of superconducting fluctuations in unconventional superconductors or in the quantum regime should be confronted.

Isovector pairing and particle-number fluctuation effects on the spectroscopic factors of one-proton stripping and one-neutron pick-up reactions in proton-rich nuclei

Expressions of the spectroscopic factors (SFs) corresponding to one-particle transfer reactions have been established using a schematic definition. These expressions have been derived by taking into account the isovector neutron-proton (np) pairing correlations and a particle-number projection in the framework of the generalized Sharp-BCS (SBCS) method. Recently proposed expressions of the projected wave-functions of odd-mass nuclei have been used for this purpose. The formalism has first been tested using the single-particle energies of the schematic picket-fence model. It is shown that the np pairing and particle-number fluctuation effects are far from negligible and they depend on the pairing gap parameter values. Their behavior is not the same when the parent nuclei are even-even or odd. Predictions dealing with the SFs corresponding to one-proton stripping and one-neutron pick-up reactions in proton-rich nuclei have then been established within the framework of the realistic Woods-Saxon model. It is shown that the np pairing effect as well as the particle-number projection effect are important and thus have to be included in future calculations of the SF corresponding to these kinds of reactions.

Resonating valence bonds and spinon pairing in the Dicke model

Resonating valence bond (RVB) states are a class of entangled quantum many body wavefunctions with great significance in condensed matter physics. We propose a scheme to synthesize a family of RVB states using a cavity QED setup with two-level atoms coupled to a common photon mode. In the lossy cavity limit, starting with an initial state with MM atoms excited and NN atoms in the ground state, we show that this setup can be configured as a Stern Gerlach experiment. A measurement of photon emission collapses the wavefunction of atoms onto an RVB state composed of resonating long-ranged singlets. Each emitted photon reduces the number of singlets by unity, replacing it with a pair of lone spins or ‘spinons’. As spinons are formed coherently in pairs, they are analogous to Cooper pairs in a superconductor. To simulate pair fluctuations, we propose a protocol in which photons are allowed to escape the cavity undetected. This leads to an inchoate superconductor – mixed quantum state with a fluctuating number of spinon pairs. Remarkably, in the limit of large system sizes, this protocol reveals an underlying quantum phase transition. Upon tuning the initial spin polarization, the emission exhibits a continuous transition from a dark state to a bright state. This opens an exciting route to simulate RVB states and superconductivity.

Breathing-mode frequency of a strongly interacting Fermi gas across the two- to three-dimensional crossover

We address the interplay between dimension and quantum anomaly on the breathing mode frequency of a strongly interacting Fermi gas harmonically trapped at zero temperature. Using a beyond-mean-field Gaussian pair fluctuation theory, we employ periodic boundary conditions to simulate the dimensionality of the system and impose a local-density approximation, with two different schemes, to model different trapping potentials in the tightly confined axial direction. By using a sum-rule approach, we compute the breathing mode frequency associated with a small variation of the trapping frequency along the weakly confined transverse direction and describe its behavior as a function of the dimensionality, from two to three dimensions, and of the interaction strength. We compare our predictions with previous calculations on the two-dimensional breathing mode anomaly and discuss their possible observation in ultracold Fermi gases of $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ and $^{40}\mathrm{K}$ atoms.

Efimov effect in Dirac semi-metals

Efimov effect refers to quantum states with discrete scaling symmetry and a universal scaling factor, and has attracted considerable interests from nuclear to atomic physics communities. In a Dirac semi-metal, when an electron interacts with a static impurity though a Coulomb interaction, the same scaling of the kinetic and interaction energies also gives rise to such a Efimov effect. However, even when the Fermi energy exactly lies at the Dirac point, the vacuum polarization of electron-hole pair fluctuation can still screen the Coulomb interaction, which leads to derivation from this scaling symmetry and eventually breakdown of the Efimov effect. This distortion of the Efimov bound state energy due to vacuum polarization is a relativistic electron analogy of the Lamb shift for the hydrogen atom. Motivated by recent experimental observations in two- and three-dimensional Dirac semi-metals, in this paper we investigate this many-body correction to the Efimov effect, and answer the question that under what condition a good number of Efimov-like bound states can still be observed in these condensed matter experiments.

Vestigial nematic order and superconductivity in the doped topological insulator CuxBi2Se3

If the topological insulator Bi2Se3 is doped with electrons, superconductivity with Tc = 3–4 K emerges for a low density of carriers (n = 1020 cm−3) and with a small ratio of the superconducting coherence length and Fermi wave length: ξ/λF = 2…4. These values make fluctuations of the superconducting order parameter increasingly important, to the extend that the Tc-value is surprisingly large. Strong spin–orbit interaction led to the proposal of an odd-parity pairing state. This begs the question of the nature of the transition in an unconventional superconductor with strong pairing fluctuations. We show that for a multi-component order parameter, these fluctuations give rise to a nematic phase at Tnem > Tc. Below Tc several experiments demonstrated a rotational symmetry breaking where the Cooper pair wave function is locked to the lattice. Our theory shows that this rotational symmetry breaking, as vestige of the superconducting state, already occurs above Tc. The nematic phase is characterized by vanishing off-diagonal long range order, yet with anisotropic superconducting fluctuations. It can be identified through direction-dependent para-conductivity, lattice softening, and an enhanced Raman response in the Eg symmetry channel. In addition, nematic order partially avoids the usual fluctuation suppression of Tc.

Single-particle Excitations and Strong Coupling Effects in the BCS–BEC Crossover Regime of a Rare-Earth Fermi Gas with an Orbital Feshbach Resonance

We theoretically investigate normal-state properties of an ultracold Fermi gas with an orbital Feshbach resonance (OFR). Recently, OFR has attracted much attention as a promising pairing mechanism to realize a superfluid 173Yb Fermi gas. Including pairing fluctuations within a T-matrix approximation, and removing effects of an experimentally inaccessible deep bound state, we evaluate strong-coupling corrections to single-particle excitations. With increasing the strength of an OFR-induced tunable pairing interaction, the open channel is shown to exhibit the pseudogap phenomenon in the BCS-BEC crossover region, as in the case of a broad magnetic Feshbach resonance (MFR) in 6Li and 40K Fermi gases. We also show that the strong pairing interaction affects the closed channel, leading to the coexistence of particle and hole branches in the single-particle spectral weight. Since the latter phenomenon cannot be observed in the conventional MFR case, it may be viewed as a characteristic strong-coupling phenomenon peculiar to the OFR case.