Unitary Limit Research Articles

19B isotope as a 17B-n-n three-body cluster close to unitary limit

We describe 19B in terms of a 17B-n-n three-body system, where the two-body subsystems 17B-n and n-n are unbound (virtual) states close to the unitary limit. The energy of 19 B ground state is well reproduced and two low-lying resonances are predicted. Their eventual link with the Efimov physics is discussed. This model can be extended to describe the recently discovered resonant states in 20,21B.

Emergence of N-Body Tunable Interactions in Universal Few-Atom Systems

A three-atom molecule AAB, formed by two identical bosons A and a distinct one B, is studied by considering coupled channels close to a Feshbach resonance. It is assumed that the subsystems AB and AA have, respectively, one and two channels, where, in this case, AA has open and closed channels separated by an energy gap. The induced three-body interaction appearing in the single channel description is derived using the Feshbach projection operators for the open and closed channels. An effective three-body interaction is revealed in the limit where the trap setup is tuned to vanishing scattering lengths . The corresponding homogeneous coupled Faddeev integral equations are derived in the unitarity limit. The s-wave transition matrix for the AA subsystem is obtained with a zero-range potential by a subtractive renormalization scheme with the introduction of two finite parameters, besides the energy gap. The effect of the coupling between the channels in the coupled equations is identified with the energy gap, which essentially provides an ultraviolet scale that competes with the van der Waals radius - this sets the short-range physics of the system in the open channel. The competition occurring at short distances exemplifies the violation of the ``van der Waals universality" for narrow Feshbach resonances in cold atomic setups. In this sense, the active role of the energy gap drives the short-range three-body physics.

Impurity in a three-dimensional unitary Bose gas

By using simple and efficient method we discuss properties of a single impurity immersed in three-dimensional Bose gas with the interaction between particles tuned to unitary limit. Particularly, adopting the mean-field-like approximation we present the first estimations for the low-momentum parameters of the impurity spectrum, namely, the binding energy, the effective mass and the quasiparticle residue both for repulsive and attractive Bose polarons in the unitary gas.

Quenched g_{A} in Nuclei and Emergent Scale Symmetry in Baryonic Matter.

The recent RIKEN experiment on the quenched g_{A} in the superallowed Gamow-Teller transition from ^{100}Sn indicates the role of scale anomaly encoded in the anomalous dimension β^{'} of the gluonic stress tensor Tr G_{μν}^{2}. This observation provides support to the notion of hidden scale symmetry emerging by strong nuclear correlations with an infrared (IR) fixed point realized-in the chiral limit-in the Nambu-Goldstone mode. We suggest there is an analogy in the way scale symmetry manifests in a nuclear medium to the continuity from the unitarity limit at low density (in light nuclei) to the dilaton limit at high density (in compact stars). In between the limits, say, at normal nuclear matter density, the symmetry is not visible, hence hidden.

Convergence of nuclear effective field theory with perturbative pions

The classic paper by Fleming, Mehen and Stewart cast doubts on the convergence of spin-triplet nucleon-nucleon partial wave scattering amplitudes when following the proposal of Kaplan, Savage and Wise to construct nuclear effective field theory around the unitary fermion limit with perturbative pion exchange. FMS identified the subclass of iterated one-pion exchange potential graphs as the cause of this poor convergence, which they showed persisted in the chiral limit. Theoretical tools are developed here to compute these Feynman graphs analytically to high order in all angular momentum channels simultaneously, examining the amplitudes computed to seven loops in the $L=J$ channels, and three loops in the coupled $L=J\pm1$ channels. One finds that there is nothing pathological about the perturbative expansion of a $1/r^3$ potential in general, and that the expansion converges satisfactorily in all partial waves except those with the lowest angular momentum, particularly the ${}^3P_0$ and the coupled ${}^3S_1-{}^3D_1$ channels. The results corroborate work by Birse, which suggests possible avenues to explore for improving the range of validity of the EFT expansion.

Limit cycles in the spectra of mass imbalanced many-boson system

The independence between few-body scales beyond the van der Waals universality is demonstrated for the extreme mass-imbalanced case of a specific many-boson system. This finding generalizes the scaling properties of universal tetramers to a broader class of heterogeneous few-boson systems. We assume two heavy atoms interacting with (N − 2)-lighter ones at the unitary limit, using a particular case where no interactions are active between identical particles, by investigating the interwoven spectra of this many-body system for an arbitrary number of light bosons. A large mass-ratio between the particles allows us to treat this N-body system analytically, by solving an effective inverse-squared long-range interaction which is stablished for the two heavy bosons. For a cluster with N − 2 light bosons (N ⩾ 4), we discuss the implications of the corresponding long-range potentials associated with different subsystem thresholds, implying in independent interwoven limit cycles for the correlation between the energies of excited N-body system. Our study with extreme mass-imbalanced few-boson bound states provides a fundamental understanding of the scaling behavior of their interwoven spectra. The novel insights enlarge the well-known Efimov physics paradigm and show the existence of different limit cycles, which could be probed by new experiments.

Covariant formulation of nonlinear Langevin theory with multiplicative Gaussian white noises

The multi-dimensional non-linear Langevin equation with multiplicative Gaussian white noises in Ito's sense is made covariant with respect to non-linear transform of variables. The formalism involves no metric or affine connection, works for systems with or without detailed balance, and is substantially simpler than previous theories. Its relation with deterministic theory is clarified. The unitary limit and Hermitian limit of the theory are examined. Some implications on the choices of stochastic calculus are also discussed.

Bulk viscosity of resonating fermions revisited: Kubo formula, sum rule, and the dimer and high-temperature limits

The bulk viscosity of two-component fermions with a zero-range interaction is revisited both in two and three dimensions. We first point out that the "standard" Kubo formula employed in recent studies has flaws to give rise to an unphysical divergent bulk viscosity even in a limit where it is supposed to vanish. The corrected Kubo formula as well as the sum rule is then carefully rederived so as to confirm that the bulk viscosity indeed vanishes in the free, unitarity, and dimer limits. We also discuss that the recently found discrepancy between the Kubo formalism and the kinetic theory for the bulk viscosity is attributed to the fact that the quasiparticle approximation assumed by the latter breaks down even in the high-temperature limit.

Emergence of a Pseudogap in the BCS-BEC Crossover.

Strongly correlated Fermi systems with pairing interactions become superfluid below a critical temperature T_{c}. The extent to which such pairing correlations alter the behavior of the liquid at temperatures T>T_{c} is a subtle issue that remains an area of debate, in particular regarding the appearance of the so-called pseudogap in the BCS-BEC crossover of unpolarized spin-1/2 nonrelativistic matter. Toshed light on this, we extract several quantities of crucial importance at and around the unitary limit, namely, the odd-even staggering of the total energy, the spin susceptibility, the pairing correlation function, the condensate fraction, and the critical temperature T_{c}, using a nonperturbative, constrained-ensemble quantum MonteCarlo algorithm.

Resonant Dipolar Collisions of Ultracold Molecules Induced by Microwave Dressing.

We demonstrate microwave dressing on ultracold, fermionic ^{23}Na^{40}K ground-state molecules and observe resonant dipolar collisions with cross sections exceeding 3 times the s-wave unitarity limit. The origin of these interactions is the resonant alignment of the approaching molecules' dipoles along the intermolecular axis, which leads to strong attraction. We explain our observations with a conceptually simple two-state picture based on the Condon approximation. Furthermore, we perform coupled-channel calculations that agree well with the experimentally observed collision rates. The resonant microwave-induced collisions found here enable controlled, strong interactions between molecules, of immediate use for experiments in optical lattices.

Fourth- and Fifth-Order Virial Coefficients from Weak Coupling to Unitarity.

In the current era of precision quantum many-body physics, one of the most scrutinized systems is the unitary limit of the nonrelativistic spin-1/2 Fermi gas, due to its simplicity and relevance for atomic, condensed matter, and nuclear physics. The thermodynamics of this strongly correlated system is determined by universal functions which, at high temperatures, are governed by universal virial coefficients b_{n} that capture the effects of the n-body system on the many-body dynamics. Currently, b_{2} and b_{3} are well understood, but the situation is less clear for b_{4}, and no predictions have been made for b_{5}. To answer these open questions, we implement a nonperturbative analytic approach based on the Trotter-Suzuki factorization of the imaginary-time evolution operator, using progressively finer temporal lattice spacings. By means of these factorizations and automated algebra codes, we obtain the interaction-induced change Δb_{n} from weak coupling to unitarity. At unitarity, we find that Δb_{3}=-0.356(4) in agreement with previous results, Δb_{4}=0.062(2), which is in agreement with all previous theoretical estimates but at odds with experimental determinations, and Δb_{5}=0.078(6), which is a prediction. We show the impact of those answers on the density equation of state and Tan contact, and trace their origin back to their polarized and unpolarized components.

Algorithmic cooling of nuclear spins using long-lived singlet order.

Algorithmic cooling methods manipulate an open quantum system in order to lower its temperature below that of the environment. We achieve significant cooling of an ensemble of nuclear spin-pair systems by exploiting the long-lived nuclear singlet state, which is an antisymmetric quantum superposition of the "up" and "down" Zeeman states. The effect is demonstrated by nuclear magnetic resonance experiments on a molecular system containing a coupled pair of near-equivalent 13C nuclei. The populations of the system are subjected to a repeating sequence of cyclic permutations separated by relaxation intervals. The long-lived nuclear singlet order is pumped well beyond the unitary limit. The pumped singlet order is converted into nuclear magnetization which is enhanced by 21% relative to its thermal equilibrium value.

Controlled Introduction of Defects to Delafossite Metals by Electron Irradiation

The delafossite metals PdCoO$_{2}$, PtCoO$_{2}$ and PdCrO$_{2}$ are among the highest conductivity materials known, with low temperature mean free paths of tens of microns in the best as-grown single crystals. A key question is whether these very low resistive scattering rates result from strongly suppressed backscattering due to special features of the electronic structure, or are a consequence of highly unusual levels of crystalline perfection. We report the results of experiments in which high energy electron irradiation was used to introduce point disorder to the Pd and Pt layers in which the conduction occurs. We obtain the cross-section for formation of Frenkel pairs in absolute units, and cross-check our analysis with first principles calculations of the relevant atomic displacement energies. We observe an increase of resistivity that is linear in defect density with a slope consistent with scattering in the unitary limit. Our results enable us to deduce that the as-grown crystals contain extremely low levels of in-plane defects of approximately $0.001\%$. This confirms that crystalline perfection is the most important factor in realizing the long mean free paths, and highlights how unusual these delafossite metals are in comparison with the vast majority of other multi-component oxides and alloys. We discuss the implications of our findings for future materials research.

Clustering of Four-Component Unitary Fermions.

Abinitio nuclear physics tackles the problem of strongly interacting four-component fermions. The same setting could foreseeably be probed experimentally in ultracold atomic systems, where two- and three-component experiments have led to major breakthroughs in recent years. Both due to the problem's inherent interest and as a pathway to nuclear physics, in this Letter we study four-component fermions at unitarity via the use of quantum MonteCarlo methods. We explore novel forms of the trial wave function and find one which leads to a ground state of the eight-particle system whose energy is almost equal to that of two four-particle systems. We investigate the clustering properties involved and also extrapolate to the zero-range limit. In addition to being experimentally testable, our results impact the prospects of developing nuclear physics as a perturbation around the unitary limit.

Energies and radii of light nuclei around unitarity

Light nuclei fall within a regime of universal physics governed by the fact that the two-nucleon scattering lengths are large compared to the typical nuclear interaction range set by one-pion exchange. This places nuclear physics near the so-called unitarity limit in which the scattering lengths are exactly infinite. Effective field theory provides a powerful theoretical framework to capture this separation of scales in a systematic way. It is shown here that the nuclear force can be constructed as a perturbative expansion around the unitarity limit and that this expansion has good convergence properties for both the binding energies of A=3,4 nuclei as well as for the radii of these states.

Pairing Correlations across the Superfluid Phase Transition in the Unitary Fermi Gas.

In the two-component Fermi gas with a contact interaction, a pseudogap regime can exist at temperatures between the superfluid critical temperature T_{c} and a temperature T^{*}>T_{c}. This regime is characterized by pairing correlations without superfluidity. However, in the unitary limit of infinite scattering length, the existence of this regime is still debated. To help address this, we have applied finite-temperature auxiliary-field quantum MonteCarlo (AFMC) methods to study the thermodynamics of the superfluid phase transition and signatures of the pseudogap in the spin-balanced homogeneous unitary Fermi gas. We present results at finite filling factor ν≃0.06 for the condensate fraction, an energy-staggering pairing gap, the spin susceptibility, and the heat capacity, and compare them to experimental data when available. In contrast to previous AFMC simulations, our model space consists of the complete first Brillouin zone of the lattice, and our calculations are performed in the canonical ensemble of fixed particle number. The canonical ensemble AFMC framework enables the calculation of a model-independent gap, providing direct information on pairing correlations without the need for numerical analytic continuation. We use finite-size scaling to estimate T_{c} at the corresponding filling factor. We find that the energy-staggering pairing gap vanishes above T_{c}, showing no pseudogap effects, and that the spin susceptibility shows a substantially reduced signature of a spin gap compared to previously reported AFMC simulations.

Semiclassical expansion of quantum gases into a vacuum

In the framework of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, we consider the problem of the expansion of quantum gases into a vacuum. For them, the chemical potential μ has a power-law dependence on the density n with the exponent ν = 2/D, whereD is the space dimension. For gas condensates of Bose atoms as the temperature T → 0, s scattering gives the main contribution to the interaction of atoms in the leading order in the gas parameter. Therefore, the exponent ν = 1 for an arbitrary D. In the three-dimensional case, ν = 2/3 is realized for condensates of Fermi atoms in the so-called unitary limit. For ν = 2/D, the Gross-Pitaevskii equation has an additional symmetry under Talanov transformations of the conformal type, which were first found for the stationary self-focusing of light. A consequence of this symmetry is the virial theorem relating the average size R of an expanding gas cloud to its Hamiltonian. The quantity R asymptotically increases linearly with time as t →∞. In the semiclassical limit, the equations of motion coincide with those of the hydrodynamics of an ideal gas with the adiabatic exponent γ = 1+2/D. In this approximations, self-similar solutions describe angular deformations of the gas cloud against the background of the expanding gas in the framework of equations of the Ermakov-Ray-Reid type.

Low-energy neutron scattering on light nuclei and $^{19}$B as a $^{17}$B-$n$-$n$ three-body system in the unitary limit

We consider the evolution of the neutron-nucleus scattering length for the lightest nuclei. We show that, when increasing the number of neutrons in the target nucleus, the strong Pauli repulsion is weakened and the balance with the attractive nucleon-nucleon interaction results into a resonant virtual state in ^{18}18B. We describe ^{19}19B in terms of a ^{17}17B-nn-nn three-body system where the two-body subsystems ^{17}17B-nn and nn-nn are unbound (virtual) states close to the unitary limit. The energy of ^{19}19B ground state is well reproduced and two low-lying resonances are predicted. Their eventual link with the Efimov physics is discussed. This model can be extended to describe the recently discovered resonant states in ^{20,21}20,21B.

Variation of zero-energy density of states of a d -wave superconductor in a rotating in-plane magnetic field: Effect of nonmagnetic impurities

Oscillation of zero-energy density of states under the rotation of an in-plane magnetic field is used to identify node positions of the superconducting gap. Based on Eilenberger theory that can capture the vortex core contribution appropriately, we quantitatively study the effects of nonmagnetic impurity scattering on the oscillation in a ${d}_{{x}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{y}^{2}}$-wave superconductor, as a function of the magnetic field and the scattering rate in the Born and the unitary limits. We find that the sign of the oscillation can be changed by the impurity scattering at low fields, indicating that impurity effect is an important factor in the analysis of angle-resolved specific heat measurements.

Relation of Superconducting Pairing Symmetry and Non-Magnetic Impurity Effects in Vortex States

Non-magnetic impurity scattering effects on the vortex core states are theoretically studied to clarify the contributions from the sign-change of the pairing function in anisotropic superconductors. The vortex states are calculated by the Eilenberger theory in superconductors with p x -wave pairing symmetry, as well as the corresponding anisotropic s-wave symmetry. From the spatial structure of the pair potential and the local electronic states around a vortex, we examine the differences between anisotropic superconductors with and without sign-change of the pairing function, and estimate how twofold symmetric vortex core images change with increasing the impurity scattering rate both in the Born and the unitary limits. We found that twofold symmetric vortex core image of zero-energy local density of states changes the orientation of the twofold symmetry with increasing the scattering rate when the sign change occurs in the pairing function. Without the sign change, the vortex core shape reduces to circular one with approaching dirty cases. These results of the impurity effects are valuable for identifying the pairing symmetry by observation of the vortex core image by the STM observation.