Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:0803.2517 · Physical Review A

Radio-frequency spectroscopy of a strongly imbalanced Feshbach-resonant Fermi gas

Martin Y. Veillette, Eun Gook Moon, Austen Lamacraft, Leo Radzihovsky, Subir Sachdev A, Daniel E. Sheehy

Published Sep 22, 2008• 45 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

A sufficiently large species imbalance (polarization) in a two-component Feshbach resonant Fermi gas is known to drive the system into its normal state. We show that the resulting strongly interacting state is a conventional Fermi liquid, that is, however, strongly renormalized by pairing fluctuations. Using a controlled $1∕N$ expansion, we calculate the properties of this state with a particular emphasis on the atomic spectral function, the momentum distribution functions displaying the Migdal discontinuity, and the radio frequency (rf) spectrum. We discuss the latter in the light of the recent experiments of [Schunck et al., Science 316, 867 (2007)] on such a resonant Fermi gas, and show that the observations are consistent with a conventional, but strongly renormalized Fermi-liquid picture.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.78.033614

Related papers

Theory of rf-Spectroscopy of Strongly Interacting Fermions

Matthias Punk, W. Zwerger

We show that strong pairing correlations in Fermi gases lead to the appearance of a gaplike structure in the rf spectrum, both in the balanced superfluid and in the normal phase above the Clogston-Chandrasekhar limit. The average rf shift of a unitary gas is proportional to the ratio of the Fermi velocity and the scattering length with the final state. In the strongly imbalanced case, the rf spectrum measures the binding energy of a minority atom to the Fermi sea of majority atoms. Our results provide a qualitative understanding of recent experiments by Schunck et al.

arXiv:0707.0792•Physical Review Letters•Oct 25, 2007•126 citations

Imbalanced Fermi Gases at Unitarity

K. B. Gubbels, Henk T. C. Stoof, Theoretical Physics +3 more

We consider imbalanced Fermi gases with strong attractive interactions, for which Cooper-pair formation plays an important role. The two-component mix-tures consist either of identical fermionic atoms in two different hyperfine states, or of two different atomic species both occupying only a single hyperfine state. In both cases, the number of atoms for each component is allowed to be differ-ent, which leads to a spin imbalance, or spin polarization. Two different atomic species also lead to a mass imbalance. Imbalanced Fermi gases are relevant to condensed-matter physics, nuclear physics and astroparticle physics. They have been studied intensively in recent years, following their experimental realization in ultracold atomic Fermi gases. The experimental control in such a system allows for a systematic study of the equation of state and the phase diagram as a function of temperature, spin polarization and interaction strength. In this re-view, we discuss the progress in understanding strongly-interacting imbalanced Fermi gases, where a main goal is to describe the results of the highly controlled experiments. We start by discussing Feshbach resonances, after which we treat the imbalanced Fermi gas in mean-field theory to give an introduction to the relevant physics. We encounter several unusual superfluid phases, including phase-separation, gapless Sarma superfluidity, and supersolidity. To obtain a more quantitative description of the experiments, we review also more sophisti-cated techniques, such as diagrammatic methods and the renormalization-group theory. We end the review by discussing two theoretical approaches to treat the inhomogeneous imbalanced Fermi gas, namely the Landau-Ginzburg theory and the Bogoliubov-de Gennes approach. Key words:

•Jan 1, 2013•38 citations

Spin polarons and molecules in strongly interacting atomic Fermi gases

Pietro Massignan, Georg M. Bruun, Henk T. C. Stoof

We examine pairing and molecule formation in strongly interacting Fermi gases, and we discuss how radio-frequency (rf) spectroscopy can reveal these features. For the balanced case, the emergence of stable molecules in the Bose-Einstein condensation regime results in a two-peak structure in the rf spectrum with clearly visible medium effects on the low-energy part of the molecular wave function. For the highly imbalanced case, we show the existence of a well-defined quasiparticle (a spin polaron) on both sides of the Feshbach resonance, we evaluate its lifetime, and we illustrate how its energy may be measured by rf spectroscopy.

arXiv:0805.3667•Physical Review A•Sep 24, 2008•33 citations

Pairing Without Superfluidity: The Ground State of an Imbalanced Fermi Mixture

Christian H. Schunck, Yong-il Shin, André Schirotzek +2 more

We used radio-frequency spectroscopy to study pairing in the normal and superfluid phases of a strongly interacting Fermi gas with imbalanced spin populations. At high spin imbalances, the system does not become superfluid even at zero temperature. In this normal phase, full pairing of the minority atoms was observed. Hence, mismatched Fermi surfaces do not prevent pairing but can quench the superfluid state, thus realizing a system of fermion pairs that do not condense even at the lowest temperature.

arXiv:cond-mat/0702066•Science•May 10, 2007•173 citations

Twin peaks in rf spectra of Fermi gases at unitarity

Pietro Massignan, Georg M. Bruun, Henk T. C. Stoof

We calculate the radio-frequency spectrum of balanced and imbalanced ultracold Fermi gases in the normal phase at unitarity. For the homogeneous case the spectrum of both the majority and minority components always has a single peak even in the pseudogap regime. We furthermore show how the double-peak structures observed in recent experiments arise due to the inhomogeneity of the trapped gas. The main experimental features observed above the critical temperature in the recent experiment of Schunck et al. [Science 316, 867 (2007)] are recovered with no fitting parameters.

arXiv:0709.3158•Physical Review A•Mar 3, 2008•50 citations

Momentum-resolved radio-frequency spectroscopy of a spin-orbit-coupled atomic Fermi gas near a Feshbach resonance in harmonic traps

Shi-Guo Peng, Xia-Ji Liu, Hui Hu +1 more

We theoretically investigate the momentum-resolved radio-frequency spectroscopy of a harmonically trapped atomic Fermi gas near a Feshbach resonance in the presence of equal Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling. The system is qualitatively modeled as an ideal gas mixture of atoms and molecules, in which the properties of molecules, such as the wave function, binding energy, and effective mass, are determined from the two-particle solution of two interacting atoms. We calculate separately the radio-frequency response from atoms and molecules at finite temperatures by using the standard Fermi golden rule and take into account the effect of harmonic traps within local density approximation. The total radio-frequency spectroscopy is discussed as functions of temperature and spin-orbit coupling strength. Our results give a qualitative picture of radio-frequency spectroscopy of a resonantly interacting spin-orbit-coupled Fermi gas and can be directly tested in atomic Fermi gases of ${}^{40}$K atoms at Shanxi University and ${}^{6}$Li atoms at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

arXiv:1210.2160•Physical Review A•Dec 10, 2012•15 citations
A sufficiently large species imbalance (polarization) in a two-component Feshbach resonant Fermi gas is known to drive the system into its normal state. We show that the resulting strongly interacting state is a conventional Fermi liquid, that is, however, strongly renormalized by pairing fluctuations. Using a controlled 1∕N1∕N1∕N expansion, we calculate the properties of this state with a particular emphasis on the atomic spectral function, the momentum distribution functions displaying the Migdal discontinuity, and the radio frequency (rf) spectrum. We discuss the latter in the light of the recent experiments of [Schunck et al., Science 316, 867 (2007)] on such a resonant Fermi gas, and show that the observations are consistent with a conventional, but strongly renormalized Fermi-liquid picture.
We show that strong pairing correlations in Fermi gases lead to the appearance of a gaplike structure in the rf spectrum, both in the balanced superfluid and in the normal phase above the Clogston-Chandrasekhar limit. The average rf shift of a unitary gas is proportional to the ratio of the Fermi velocity and the scattering length with the final state. In the strongly imbalanced case, the rf spectrum measures the binding energy of a minority atom to the Fermi sea of majority atoms. Our results provide a qualitative understanding of recent experiments by Schunck et al.
We consider imbalanced Fermi gases with strong attractive interactions, for which Cooper-pair formation plays an important role. The two-component mix-tures consist either of identical fermionic atoms in two different hyperfine states, or of two different atomic species both occupying only a single hyperfine state. In both cases, the number of atoms for each component is allowed to be differ-ent, which leads to a spin imbalance, or spin polarization. Two different atomic species also lead to a mass imbalance. Imbalanced Fermi gases are relevant to condensed-matter physics, nuclear physics and astroparticle physics. They have been studied intensively in recent years, following their experimental realization in ultracold atomic Fermi gases. The experimental control in such a system allows for a systematic study of the equation of state and the phase diagram as a function of temperature, spin polarization and interaction strength. In this re-view, we discuss the progress in understanding strongly-interacting imbalanced Fermi gases, where a main goal is to describe the results of the highly controlled experiments. We start by discussing Feshbach resonances, after which we treat the imbalanced Fermi gas in mean-field theory to give an introduction to the relevant physics. We encounter several unusual superfluid phases, including phase-separation, gapless Sarma superfluidity, and supersolidity. To obtain a more quantitative description of the experiments, we review also more sophisti-cated techniques, such as diagrammatic methods and the renormalization-group theory. We end the review by discussing two theoretical approaches to treat the inhomogeneous imbalanced Fermi gas, namely the Landau-Ginzburg theory and the Bogoliubov-de Gennes approach. Key words:
We examine pairing and molecule formation in strongly interacting Fermi gases, and we discuss how radio-frequency (rf) spectroscopy can reveal these features. For the balanced case, the emergence of stable molecules in the Bose-Einstein condensation regime results in a two-peak structure in the rf spectrum with clearly visible medium effects on the low-energy part of the molecular wave function. For the highly imbalanced case, we show the existence of a well-defined quasiparticle (a spin polaron) on both sides of the Feshbach resonance, we evaluate its lifetime, and we illustrate how its energy may be measured by rf spectroscopy.
We used radio-frequency spectroscopy to study pairing in the normal and superfluid phases of a strongly interacting Fermi gas with imbalanced spin populations. At high spin imbalances, the system does not become superfluid even at zero temperature. In this normal phase, full pairing of the minority atoms was observed. Hence, mismatched Fermi surfaces do not prevent pairing but can quench the superfluid state, thus realizing a system of fermion pairs that do not condense even at the lowest temperature.
We calculate the radio-frequency spectrum of balanced and imbalanced ultracold Fermi gases in the normal phase at unitarity. For the homogeneous case the spectrum of both the majority and minority components always has a single peak even in the pseudogap regime. We furthermore show how the double-peak structures observed in recent experiments arise due to the inhomogeneity of the trapped gas. The main experimental features observed above the critical temperature in the recent experiment of Schunck et al. [Science 316, 867 (2007)] are recovered with no fitting parameters.
We theoretically investigate the momentum-resolved radio-frequency spectroscopy of a harmonically trapped atomic Fermi gas near a Feshbach resonance in the presence of equal Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling. The system is qualitatively modeled as an ideal gas mixture of atoms and molecules, in which the properties of molecules, such as the wave function, binding energy, and effective mass, are determined from the two-particle solution of two interacting atoms. We calculate separately the radio-frequency response from atoms and molecules at finite temperatures by using the standard Fermi golden rule and take into account the effect of harmonic traps within local density approximation. The total radio-frequency spectroscopy is discussed as functions of temperature and spin-orbit coupling strength. Our results give a qualitative picture of radio-frequency spectroscopy of a resonantly interacting spin-orbit-coupled Fermi gas and can be directly tested in atomic Fermi gases of 40{}^{40}40K atoms at Shanxi University and 6{}^{6}6Li atoms at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.