Superfluid Transition Research Articles

Superconductivity and Magnetism in Organic Materials Studied with μSR

A review is given of the current status and recent progress in the use of μSR for the study of superconductivity and magnetism in organic materials. For organic superconductors, important factors are discussed that influence the observed μSR line widths and their field and temperature dependences in the superconducting state. The accumulated μSR results give direct information about the scaling relationship between superfluid stiffness and transition temperature that provides a strong constraint for theories of organic superconductors. For organic magnetism, μSR offers a sensitive probe for detecting various weak magnetic phenomena ranging from spin-density-wave transitions through spin dynamics and 3D ordering of Heisenberg chain systems to field induced magnetism of quantum spin liquids. Finally, experiments are described that focus on two current issues in organic spintronics: direct measurement of the spin coherence length and the identification of the relative importance of different mechanisms of sp...

Multiband effects and the Bose-Hubbard model in one-dimensional lattices

We study phase diagrams of one-dimensional bosons with contact interactions in the presence of a lattice. We use the worm algorithm in continuous space and focus on the incommensurate superfluid Mott-insulator transition. Our results are compared to those from the one-band Bose-Hubbard model. When Wannier states are used to determine the Bose-Hubbard model parameters, the comparison unveils an apparent breakdown of the one-band description for strong interactions, even for the Mott-insulating state with an average of one particle per site ($n=1$) in deep lattices. We introduce an inverse confined scattering analysis to obtain the ratio $U/J$, with which the Bose-Hubbard model provides correct results for strong interactions, deep lattices, and $n=1$.

Superfluidity of a dilute gas of electron-hole pairs in a bilayer system

The stability conditions for a superfluid phase in double layer systems with pairing of spatially separated electrons and holes were studied in the low density limit, and the general expression for the collective excitation spectrum was obtained. It was shown that as the distance d between the layers increases, a minimum appears in the excitation spectrum. When d reaches a critical value, the superfluid state becomes unstable with respect to the formation of a phase of the Wigner-crystal type. The same instability occurs at a fixed d upon an increase in the density of charge carriers. It was established that the critical distance and the critical density are related through inverse-power dependence. The impact of impurities on the temperature of the superfluid transition was investigated and the conditions under which it is small were established. It was shown that the critical temperature Tc ≈ 100 K can be reached in the diluted systems.

Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov pairing as leading instability on the square lattice

We study attractively interacting spin-1/2 fermions on the square lattice subject to a spin population imbalance. Using unbiased diagrammatic Monte Carlo simulations we find an extended region in the parameter space where the Fermi liquid is unstable towards formation of Cooper pairs with non-zero center-of-mass momentum, known as the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state. In contrast to earlier mean-field and quasi-classical studies we provide quantitative and well-controlled predictions on the existence and location of the relevant Fermi-liquid instabilities. The highest temperature where the FFLO instability can be observed is about half of the superfluid transition temperature in the unpolarized system.

Phase transitions in a Bose-Hubbard model with cavity-mediated global-range interactions

We study a system with competing short- and global-range interactions in the framework of the Bose-Hubbard model. Using a mean-field approximation we obtain the phase diagram of the system and observe four different phases: a superfluid, a supersolid, a Mott insulator and a charge density wave, where the transitions between the various phases can be either of first or second order. We qualitatively support these results using Monte-Carlo simulations. An analysis of the low-energy excitations shows that the second-order phase transition from the charge density wave to the supersolid is associated with the softening of particle- and hole-like excitations which give rise to a gapless mode and an amplitude Higgs mode in the supersolid phase. This amplitude Higgs mode is further transformed into a roton mode which softens at the supersolid to superfluid phase transition.

Superfluid transition in the attractive Hofstadter-Hubbard model

We consider a Fermi gas that is loaded onto a square optical lattice and subjected to a perpendicular artificial magnetic field, and determine its superfluid transition boundary by adopting a BCS-like mean-field approach in momentum space. The multi-band structure of the single-particle Hofstadter spectrum is taken explicitly into account while deriving a generalized pairing equation. We present the numerical solutions as functions of the artificial magnetic flux, interaction strength, Zeeman field, chemical potential, and temperature, with a special emphasis on the roles played by the density of single-particle states and center-of-mass momentum of Cooper pairs.

Grüneisen parameter for gases and superfluid helium

The Grüneisen ratio (Γ), i.e. the ratio of the thermal expansivity to the specific heat at constant pressure, quantifies the degree of anharmonicity of the potential governing the physical properties of a system. While Γ has been intensively explored in solid state physics, very little is known about its behavior for gases. This is most likely due to the difficulties posed in carrying out both thermal expansion and specific heat measurements in gases with high accuracy as a function of pressure and temperature. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge a comprehensive discussion about the peculiarities of the Grüneisen ratio is still lacking in the literature. Here we report on a detailed and comprehensive overview of the Grüneisen ratio. Particular emphasis is placed on the analysis of Γ for gases. The main findings of this work are: (i) for the van der Waals gas Γ depends only on the co-volume b due to interaction effects, it is smaller than that for the ideal gas (Γ = 2/3) and diverges upon approaching the critical volume; (ii) for the Bose–Einstein condensation of an ideal boson gas, assuming the transition as first-order, Γ diverges upon approaching a critical volume, similarly to the van der Waals gas; (iii) for 4He at the superfluid transition Γ shows a singular behavior. Our results reveal that Γ can be used as an appropriate experimental tool to explore pressure-induced critical points.

Ground-state phase diagram of the repulsive fermionict−t′Hubbard model on the square lattice from weak coupling

We obtain a complete and exact in the weak-coupling limit ($U \rightarrow 0$) ground state phase diagram of the repulsive fermionic Hubbard model on the square lattice for filling factors $0 < n < 2$ and next-nearest-neighbour hopping amplitudes $0 \le t^{\prime} \le 0.5$. Phases are distinguished by the symmetry and the number of nodes of the superfluid order parameter. The phase diagram is richer than may be expected and typically features states with a high --- higher than that of the fundamental mode of the corresponding irreducible representation --- number of nodes. The effective coupling strength in the Cooper channel $\lambda$, which determines the critical temperature $T_c$ of the superfluid transition, is calculated in the whole parameter space and regions with high values of $\lambda$ are identified. It is shown that besides the expected increase of $\lambda$ near the Van Hove singularity line, joining the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic points, another region with high values of $\lambda$ can be found at quarter filling and $t^{\prime}=0.5$ due to the presence of a line of nesting at $t^{\prime} \ge 0.5$. The results can serve as benchmarks for controlled non-perturbative methods and guide the ongoing search for high-$T_c$ superconductivity in the Hubbard model.

Effect of anisotropic exchange interactions and short-range phenomena on superfluidity in a homogeneous dipolar Fermi gas

We develop a simple numerical method that allows us to calculate the BCS superfluid transition temperature ${T}_{c}$ precisely for any interaction potential. We apply it to a polarized, ultracold Fermi gas with long-range, anisotropic, dipolar interactions and include the effects of anisotropic exchange interactions. We pay particular attention to the short-range behavior of dipolar gases and reexamine current renormalization methods. In particular, we find that dimerization of both atoms and molecules significantly hampers the formation of a superfluid. The end result is that at high density or interaction strengths, we find ${T}_{c}$ is orders of magnitude lower than previous calculations.

Kohn-Sham approach to Fermi gas superfluidity: The bilayer of fermionic polar molecules

By using a well-established ``ab initio'' theoretical approach developed in the past to quantitatively study the superconductivity of condensed matter systems, based on the Kohn-Sham density functional theory, I study the superfluid properties and the BCS-BEC crossover of two parallel bi-dimensional layers of fermionic dipolar molecules, where the pairing mechanism leading to superfluidity is provided by the interlayer coupling between dipoles. The finite temperature superfluid properties of both the homogeneous system and one where the fermions in each layer are confined by a square optical lattice are studied at half filling conditions, and for different values of the strength of the confining optical potential. The T = 0 results for the homogeneous system are found to be in excellent agreement with diffusion Monte Carlo results. The superfluid transition temperature in the BCS region is found to increase, for a given interlayer coupling, with the strength of the confining optical potential. A transition occurs at sufficiently small interlayer distances, where the fermions becomes localized within the optical lattice sites in a square geometry with an increased effective lattice constant, forming a system of localized composite bosons. This transition should be signaled by a sudden drop in the superfluid fraction of the system.

Effect of the particle-hole channel on BCS-Bose-Einstein condensation crossover in atomic Fermi gases.

BCS–Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) crossover is effected by increasing pairing strength between fermions from weak to strong in the particle-particle channel, and has attracted a lot of attention since the experimental realization of quantum degenerate atomic Fermi gases. Here we study the effect of the (often dropped) particle-hole channel on the zero T gap Δ(0), superfluid transition temperature Tc, the pseudogap at Tc, and the mean-field ratio 2Δ(0)/, from BCS through BEC regimes, using a pairing fluctuation theory which includes self-consistently the contributions of finite-momentum pairs and features a pseudogap in single particle excitation spectrum. Summing over the infinite particle-hole ladder diagrams, we find a complex dynamical structure for the particle-hole susceptibility χph, and conclude that neglecting the self-energy feedback causes a serious over-estimate of χph. While our result in the BCS limit agrees with Gor’kov et al., the particle-hole channel effect becomes more complex and pronounced in the crossover regime, where χph is reduced by both a smaller Fermi surface and a big (pseudo)gap. Deep in the BEC regime, the particle-hole channel contributions drop to zero. We predict a density dependence of the magnetic field at the Feshbach resonance, which can be used to quantify χph and test different theories.

Conservation of energy–momentum tensor in fermionic superfluid phase: Effects of U(1) broken symmetry

Respecting the conservation laws of momentum and energy in a many body theory is very important for understanding the transport phenomena. The previous conserving approximation requires that the self-energy of a single particle could be written as a functional derivative of a full dressed Green's function. This condition can not be satisfied in the G0G t-matrix or pair fluctuation theory which emphasizes the fermion pairing with a stronger than the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer (BCS) attraction. In the previous work [1], we have shown that when the temperature is above the superfluid transition temperature Tc, the G0G t-matrix theory can be put into a form that satisfies the stress tensor Ward identity (WI) or local form of conservation laws by introducing a new type of vertex correction. In this paper, we will extend the above conservation approximation to the superfluid phase in the BCS mean field level. To establish the stress tensor WI, we have to include the fluctuation of the order parameter or the contribution from the Goldstone mode. The result will be useful for understanding the transport properties such as the behavior of the viscosity of Fermionic gases in the superfluid phases.

Toward room-temperature superfluidity of exciton polaritons in an optical microcavity with an embedded MoS_2 monolayer

By considering driven diffusive dynamics of exciton polaritons in an optical microcavity with an embedded molybdenum disulfide monolayer, we determine experimentally relevant range of parameters at which room-temperature superfuidity can be observed. It is shown that the superfluid transitions occurs in a trapped polariton gas at laser pumping power $P>600$ mW and and trapping potential strength $k > 50$ eV/cm$^2$. We also propose a simple analytic model that provides a useful estimate for the polariton gas density, which enables one to determine the conditions for observation of room temperature polariton superfluidity.

Coherence of interacting bosons in optical lattices in synthetic magnetic fields with a large number of subbands

We study the behavior of interacting ultracold bosons in optical lattices in synthetic magnetic fields with wide range of in-cell fluxes $\ensuremath{\alpha}=p/q$. The problem is similar to the one of an electron moving in a tight-binding scheme in the magnetic field and becomes difficult to tackle for a growing number of magnetic subbands, $q$. To overcome this, we focus on the interplay of the width, shape, and number of the subbands on the formation of the coherent state of cold bosons. Using the quantum rotor approach, which goes beyond the mean-field approximation, we are able to pinpoint the elements of the band structure, which are the most significant in a proper theoretical description of the synthetic magnetic field in a bosonic lattice system. As a result, we propose a method of reconstruction of the Hofstadter butterfly spectrum by replacing the magnetic subbands with renormalized bands of a square lattice. This allows us to effectively investigate the properties of the studied system for a wide range of magnetic fluxes and their impact on the Mott-insulator--superfluid transition.

Numerical study of the unitary Fermi gas across the superfluid transition

We present results from Monte Carlo calculations investigating the properties of the homogeneous, spin-balanced unitary Fermi gas in three dimensions. The temperature is varied across the superfluid transition allowing us to determine the temperature dependence of the chemical potential, the energy per particle and the contact density. Numerical artifacts due to finite volume and discretization are systematically studied, estimated, and reduced.

Unusual Finite-Temperature Phase Diagram for Semi-hard-core Bosons in Two Dimensions

The extended bosonic Hubbard model (EBHM) is a paradigmatic model for the highly topical field of ultracold gases in optical lattices. Using quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we have determined the finite-temperature phase diagram of the EBHM with truncation of the on-site Hilbert space to the three lowest occupation states: n = 0, 1, 2 (semi-hard-core boson Hubbard model) given nearest-neighbor repulsion, however, both positive and negative values of the on-site boson–boson coupling U. This model is equivalent to an anisotropic spin-1 XXZ model (\(n=S_z+1\)) in a magnetic field. In the limit of large negative U (the boson–boson attraction), the model turns into the well-known model of hard-core bosons whose rich phase diagram demonstrates several puzzling features, in particular, signatures of an unusual reentrant behavior with a charge ordering upon increasing the temperature. We have shown that the rise of the correlation parameter U to positive values (the boson–boson repulsion) expectedly leads to a lowering of the temperature of the superfluid transition and unexpectedly to the more and more pronounced “reentrance” effect.

Analytical study on holographic superfluid in AdS soliton background

We analytically study the holographic superfluid phase transition in the AdS soliton background by using the variational method for the Sturm-Liouville eigenvalue problem. By investigating the holographic s-wave and p-wave superfluid models in the probe limit, we observe that the spatial component of the gauge field will hinder the phase transition. Moreover, we note that, different from the AdS black hole spacetime, in the AdS soliton background the holographic superfluid phase transition always belongs to the second order and the critical exponent of the system takes the mean-field value in both s-wave and p-wave models. Our analytical results are found to be in good agreement with the numerical findings.

Influence of the Kerr effect in a Mott insulator on the superfluid transition from the point of view of the Jaynes–Cummings–Hubbard model

We have studied analytically the Jaynes–Cummings–Hubbard model for a one-dimensional optical lattice with the account of the Kerr-type nonlinearity under the fermionic approximation. We have found that an increase in the number of photons or in the detuning parameter favors the superfluid phase. We have also found that the nonlinear Kerr effect favors the Mott insulator phase, which is in agreement with experimental observations.

Probing the Bose glass–superfluid transition using quantum quenches of disorder

We probe the transition between superfluid and Bose glass phases using quantum quenches of disorder in an ultracold atomic lattice gas that realizes the disordered Bose-Hubbard model. Measurements of excitations generated by the quench exhibit threshold behavior in the disorder strength indicative of a phase transition. Ab-initio quantum Monte Carlo simulations confirm that the appearance of excitations coincides with the equilibrium superfluid--Bose-glass phase boundary at different lattice potential depths. By varying the quench time, we demonstrate the disappearance of an adiabatic timescale compared with microscopic parameters in the BG regime.

Rashbon Bound States Associated with a Spherical Spin–Orbit Coupling in an Ultracold Fermi Gas with an s-Wave Interaction

We investigate the formation of rashbon bound states and strong-coupling effects in an ultracold Fermi gas with a spherical spin-orbit interaction, $H_{\rm so}=\lambda{\bf p}\cdot{\bf \sigma}$ (where ${\bf \sigma}=(\sigma_x,\sigma_y,\sigma_z)$ are Pauli matrices). Extending the strong-coupling theory developed by Nozi\`eres and Schmitt-Rink (NSR) to include this spin-orbit coupling, we determine the superfluid phase transition temperature $T_{\rm c}$, as functions of the strength of a pairing interaction $U_s$, as well as the spin-orbit coupling strength $\lambda$. Evaluating poles of the NSR particle-particle scattering matrix describing fluctuations in the Cooper channel, we clarify the region where rashbon bound states dominate the superfluid phase transition in the $U_{s}$-$\lambda$ phase diagram. Since the antisymmetric spin-orbit interaction $H_{\rm so}$ breaks the inversion symmetry of the system, rashbon bound states naturally have, not only a spin-singlet and even-parity symmetry, but also a spin-triplet and odd-parity symmetry. Thus, our results would be also useful for the study of this parity mixing effect in the BCS-BEC crossover regime of a spin-orbit coupled Fermi gas.