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:0903.3006

Theory of Radio Frequency Spectroscopy of Polarized Fermi Gases

Schneider, William, Vijay B. Shenoy, Mohit Randeria

Published Mar 17, 2009• 7 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We present two exact results for singular features in the radio frequency intensity $I(ω)$ for ultracold Fermi gases. First, in the absence of final state interactions, $I(ω)$ has a universal high frequency tail $ Cω^{-3/2}$ for \emph{all} many-body states, where $C$ is Tan's contact. Second, in a \emph{normal} Fermi liquid at T=0, $I(ω)$ has a jump discontinuity of $Z/(1 - m/m^{*})$, where $Z$ is the quasiparticle weight and $m^*/m$ the mass renormalization. We then describe various approximations for $I(ω)$ in polarized normal gases. We show why an approximation that is exact in the $n_\dn=0$ limit, fails qualitatively for $n_{\dn} > 0$: there is no universal tail and sum rules are violated. The simple ladder approximation is qualitatively correct for very small $n_{\dn}$, but not quantitatively.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.0903.3006

Related papers

Strong Correlations in Ultracold Fermi Gases

W. R. Schneider

Ultracold atomic gases provide an ideal system with which to study fundamental many-body physics.Exhibiting universal interactions in clean and controllable environments, long-used simple models as well as more exotic models can now be realized.The interplay between theory and experiment is therefore very active, and, in this thesis, I will detail several works, both exact analytic results and numerical calculations, which have impacts on current experiments.I begin with an introduction to the field including a brief discussion of experiments, the microscopic model of two species of interacting fermions, the BCS-BEC crossover and an overview of the various phases of atomic Fermi gases.I then describe the various results of my theoretical investigations, which are divided into five chapters.First, I describe radio frequency (RF) spectroscopy experiments and how they probe the single-particle spectral function.This leads to my results on an exact feature of the spectral lineshape, a universal large-momentum structure which exists for all states of interacting Fermi systems and has been verified in recent angle-resolved RF experiments.Second, I focus on gases which have a normal Fermi liquid ground state and show that their lineshape exhibits a characteristic jump discontinuity.I illustrate this Fermi surface singularity and the previously mentioned universal large momentum tail with explicit calculations.Third, I turn to the low energy structure of the single-particle spectral function in the superfluid state.I argue that sharp low energy quasiparticle excitations exist across the BCS-BEC crossover using a general argument that includes the interaction of fermions with the low-energy collective mode.This is illustrated with an explicit calculation within an approximation scheme.Fourth, I address the trap-induced inhomogeneity and use a Bogoliubov-deGennes analysis to test if a simple local density approximation (LDA) can provide an adequate description of a spin imbalanced Fermi system.Finally, I discuss dynamics of atomic gases motivated by a recent experiment in which two spin-polarized clouds are allowed to collide with each other.Despite the underlying attractive interactions, the clouds are seen to bounce off of each other.Using a hydrodynamic description, I argue that the short and intermediate time dynamics reflects a metastable state in which the effective interaction is repulsive.It is my hope that the work presented in this thesis can be used to gain key insights which inspire future endeavors.6.2 Time dependence of the center-of-mass positions zσ of the two spin clouds at unitarity for an initial separation z↑ (t = 0) = R z , z↓ (t = 0) = -R z using the upper branch energy functional and damping γ = 1.Red (upper) and blue (lower) curves denote the different spin species. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 6.3 The upper branch energy functional obtained from lowest order constraint variational method.(a), energy as a function of the polarization P for various values of k F a s as indicated in the figure.(b), energy as a function of the interaction parameter k F a s for various values of polarization P as indicated in the figure.(c), phase diagram of the interacting two-component Fermi gases.The two vertical red dashed lines indicates the separation between three phases.For 1/(k F a s ) > 1.124, the system is in the Fermi liquid (FL) phase.For 1.124 > 1/(k F a s ) > 0.91, the system is in the partially polarized phase (PP) and for 1/(k F a s ) < 0.91, the system is fully polarized. . . . . .74 6.4 (Color online) Time dependence of the center-of-mass positions zσ of the two spin clouds for k F (0)a s = 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 6.5 (Color online) Time dependence of the center-of-mass positions zσ of the two spin clouds for k F (0)a s = 0.5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

•Jan 1, 2011•2 citations

Radio-frequency response of strongly interacting Fermi gases at finite temperatures

S. Y. Chang

The radio-frequency spectrum of the fermions in the unitary limit at finite temperatures is characterized by the sum-rule relations. We consider a simple picture where the atoms are removed by radio-frequency excitations from the strongly interacting states into a state of negligible interaction. We calculate the moments of the response function in the range of temperature $0.08{ϵ}_{F}<T<0.8{ϵ}_{F}$ using auxiliary field Monte Carlo technique in which continuum auxiliary fields with a density-dependent shift are used. We estimate the effects of superfluid pairing from the clock shift. We find a qualitative agreement with the pairing gap--pseudogap transition behavior. We also find within the quasiparticle picture that in order for the gap to come into quantitative agreement with the previously known value at $T=0$, the effective mass has to be ${m}^{\ensuremath{\ast}}\ensuremath{\sim}1.43m$. Finally, we discuss implications for the adiabatic sweep of the resonant magnetic field.

arXiv:0905.2072•Physical Review A•Sep 29, 2009•2 citations

Temperature and Final State Effects in Radio Frequency Spectroscopy Experiments on Atomic Fermi Gases

Yan He, Chih-Chun Chien, Qijin Chen +1 more

We present a simple and systematic characterization of the radio frequency (rf) spectra of homogeneous, paired atomic Fermi gases at general temperatures T in the presence of final-state interactions. The spectra, consisting of possible bound states and positive as well as negative detuning (nu) continua, satisfy exactly the zeroth- and first-moment sum rules at all T. We show how to best extract the pairing gap and how to detect the nu<0 continuum arising from thermally excited quasiparticles, not yet seen experimentally. We explain semiquantitatively recent rf experiments on "bound-bound" transitions, predicting effects of varying temperature.

arXiv:0804.1429•Physical Review Letters•Jan 14, 2009•19 citations

High-frequency tail of the radio-frequency spectrum in a unitary Fermi gas with particle–hole fluctuation

Xiao-Xia Ruan, Fei Wang, Hao Ran Gong +2 more

The contact plays an important role in the study of ultracold atoms. We determine the contact from the high-frequency asymptotic behavior of radio-frequency spectrum for a homogeneous Fermi gas at unitarity in the normal phase. The contact is obtained within the framework of the non-self-consistent T-matrix approximation with particle–hole fluctuation.

Modern Physics Letters B•Jul 29, 2018•1 citation

Generic features of the spectrum of trapped polarized fermions

Erich J. Mueller

We show that bimodal radio frequency spectra universally arise at intermediate temperatures in models of strongly interacting trapped Fermi gases. The bimodality is independent of superfluidity or pseudogap physics, depending only on the functional form of the equation of state---which is constrained by dimensional analysis at low temperatures and the virial expansion at high temperatures. In addition to these model independent results, we present a simple calculation of the radio frequency line shape of a highly polarized Fermi gas which uses energetic considerations to include final state interactions. While this model only qualitatively captures the line shapes observed in the experiments, it provides a conceptually clean and powerful technique for estimating the energy scales and how they vary with experimental parameters.

arXiv:0711.0182•Physical Review A•Oct 1, 2008•6 citations

Radio-frequency spectroscopy of atomic fermi gas

J. J. Kinnunen

This thesis studies radio-frequency spectroscopy of superfluid alkali Fermi gases. Radio-frequency and laser fields provide a coherent and well understood tool for manipulating atomic gases. However, new phenomena are expected and have already been seen experimentally when the alkali atoms become strongly interacting. Here we use a simple perturbative treatment of the atom-rf-field coupling for studying the spectroscopy of a strongly interacting gas. At ultracold temperatures fermionic atoms become paired in analogy to electrons in superconductors. The resulting binding energy, or the pairing gap, can be observed as a shift in the radio-frequency spectrum. With strong interactions, the fermions begin pairing already above the critical superfluid transition temperature. The radio-frequency spectroscopy grants a way to study these fluctuation effects quantitatively. The inhomogeneous trapping potential of the atom cloud also adds its own flavour, resulting in distinct mesoscopic effects in the radio-frequency spectra. Our theoretical models are in very good agreement with the experimental results. First order perturbation theory provides qualitatively correct lineshapes, and our generalised perturbative approach gives quantitatively correct magnitudes for the transfer rates. The inhomogeneity plays an important part also in more exotic systems in which the simple BCS-type pairing of atoms is prevented by polarising the gas. Superfluidity and phase separation in such spin-imbalanced gases has been experimentally observed. We have suggested the use of radio-frequency spectroscopy for observing exotic polarised superfluid states, present at the edges of the atom cloud.

•Jan 1, 2006•0 citations
We present two exact results for singular features in the radio frequency intensity I(ω)I(ω)I(ω) for ultracold Fermi gases. First, in the absence of final state interactions, I(ω)I(ω)I(ω) has a universal high frequency tail Cω−3/2 Cω^{-3/2}Cω−3/2 for \emph{all} many-body states, where CCC is Tan's contact. Second, in a \emph{normal} Fermi liquid at T=0, I(ω)I(ω)I(ω) has a jump discontinuity of Z/(1−m/m∗)Z/(1 - m/m^{*})Z/(1−m/m∗), where ZZZ is the quasiparticle weight and m∗/mm^*/mm∗/m the mass renormalization. We then describe various approximations for I(ω)I(ω)I(ω) in polarized normal gases. We show why an approximation that is exact in the n\dn=0n_\dn=0n\dn​=0 limit, fails qualitatively for n\dn>0n_{\dn} > 0n\dn​>0: there is no universal tail and sum rules are violated. The simple ladder approximation is qualitatively correct for very small n\dnn_{\dn}n\dn​, but not quantitatively.
Ultracold atomic gases provide an ideal system with which to study fundamental many-body physics.Exhibiting universal interactions in clean and controllable environments, long-used simple models as well as more exotic models can now be realized.The interplay between theory and experiment is therefore very active, and, in this thesis, I will detail several works, both exact analytic results and numerical calculations, which have impacts on current experiments.I begin with an introduction to the field including a brief discussion of experiments, the microscopic model of two species of interacting fermions, the BCS-BEC crossover and an overview of the various phases of atomic Fermi gases.I then describe the various results of my theoretical investigations, which are divided into five chapters.First, I describe radio frequency (RF) spectroscopy experiments and how they probe the single-particle spectral function.This leads to my results on an exact feature of the spectral lineshape, a universal large-momentum structure which exists for all states of interacting Fermi systems and has been verified in recent angle-resolved RF experiments.Second, I focus on gases which have a normal Fermi liquid ground state and show that their lineshape exhibits a characteristic jump discontinuity.I illustrate this Fermi surface singularity and the previously mentioned universal large momentum tail with explicit calculations.Third, I turn to the low energy structure of the single-particle spectral function in the superfluid state.I argue that sharp low energy quasiparticle excitations exist across the BCS-BEC crossover using a general argument that includes the interaction of fermions with the low-energy collective mode.This is illustrated with an explicit calculation within an approximation scheme.Fourth, I address the trap-induced inhomogeneity and use a Bogoliubov-deGennes analysis to test if a simple local density approximation (LDA) can provide an adequate description of a spin imbalanced Fermi system.Finally, I discuss dynamics of atomic gases motivated by a recent experiment in which two spin-polarized clouds are allowed to collide with each other.Despite the underlying attractive interactions, the clouds are seen to bounce off of each other.Using a hydrodynamic description, I argue that the short and intermediate time dynamics reflects a metastable state in which the effective interaction is repulsive.It is my hope that the work presented in this thesis can be used to gain key insights which inspire future endeavors.6.2 Time dependence of the center-of-mass positions zσ of the two spin clouds at unitarity for an initial separation z↑ (t = 0) = R z , z↓ (t = 0) = -R z using the upper branch energy functional and damping γ = 1.Red (upper) and blue (lower) curves denote the different spin species. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 6.3 The upper branch energy functional obtained from lowest order constraint variational method.(a), energy as a function of the polarization P for various values of k F a s as indicated in the figure.(b), energy as a function of the interaction parameter k F a s for various values of polarization P as indicated in the figure.(c), phase diagram of the interacting two-component Fermi gases.The two vertical red dashed lines indicates the separation between three phases.For 1/(k F a s ) > 1.124, the system is in the Fermi liquid (FL) phase.For 1.124 > 1/(k F a s ) > 0.91, the system is in the partially polarized phase (PP) and for 1/(k F a s ) < 0.91, the system is fully polarized. . . . . .74 6.4 (Color online) Time dependence of the center-of-mass positions zσ of the two spin clouds for k F (0)a s = 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 6.5 (Color online) Time dependence of the center-of-mass positions zσ of the two spin clouds for k F (0)a s = 0.5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The radio-frequency spectrum of the fermions in the unitary limit at finite temperatures is characterized by the sum-rule relations. We consider a simple picture where the atoms are removed by radio-frequency excitations from the strongly interacting states into a state of negligible interaction. We calculate the moments of the response function in the range of temperature 0.08ϵF<T<0.8ϵF0.08{ϵ}_{F}<T<0.8{ϵ}_{F}0.08ϵF​<T<0.8ϵF​ using auxiliary field Monte Carlo technique in which continuum auxiliary fields with a density-dependent shift are used. We estimate the effects of superfluid pairing from the clock shift. We find a qualitative agreement with the pairing gap--pseudogap transition behavior. We also find within the quasiparticle picture that in order for the gap to come into quantitative agreement with the previously known value at T=0T=0T=0, the effective mass has to be ${m}^{\ensuremath{\ast}}\ensuremath{\sim}1.43m$. Finally, we discuss implications for the adiabatic sweep of the resonant magnetic field.
We present a simple and systematic characterization of the radio frequency (rf) spectra of homogeneous, paired atomic Fermi gases at general temperatures T in the presence of final-state interactions. The spectra, consisting of possible bound states and positive as well as negative detuning (nu) continua, satisfy exactly the zeroth- and first-moment sum rules at all T. We show how to best extract the pairing gap and how to detect the nu<0 continuum arising from thermally excited quasiparticles, not yet seen experimentally. We explain semiquantitatively recent rf experiments on "bound-bound" transitions, predicting effects of varying temperature.
We show that bimodal radio frequency spectra universally arise at intermediate temperatures in models of strongly interacting trapped Fermi gases. The bimodality is independent of superfluidity or pseudogap physics, depending only on the functional form of the equation of state---which is constrained by dimensional analysis at low temperatures and the virial expansion at high temperatures. In addition to these model independent results, we present a simple calculation of the radio frequency line shape of a highly polarized Fermi gas which uses energetic considerations to include final state interactions. While this model only qualitatively captures the line shapes observed in the experiments, it provides a conceptually clean and powerful technique for estimating the energy scales and how they vary with experimental parameters.
This thesis studies radio-frequency spectroscopy of superfluid alkali Fermi gases. Radio-frequency and laser fields provide a coherent and well understood tool for manipulating atomic gases. However, new phenomena are expected and have already been seen experimentally when the alkali atoms become strongly interacting. Here we use a simple perturbative treatment of the atom-rf-field coupling for studying the spectroscopy of a strongly interacting gas. At ultracold temperatures fermionic atoms become paired in analogy to electrons in superconductors. The resulting binding energy, or the pairing gap, can be observed as a shift in the radio-frequency spectrum. With strong interactions, the fermions begin pairing already above the critical superfluid transition temperature. The radio-frequency spectroscopy grants a way to study these fluctuation effects quantitatively. The inhomogeneous trapping potential of the atom cloud also adds its own flavour, resulting in distinct mesoscopic effects in the radio-frequency spectra. Our theoretical models are in very good agreement with the experimental results. First order perturbation theory provides qualitatively correct lineshapes, and our generalised perturbative approach gives quantitatively correct magnitudes for the transfer rates. The inhomogeneity plays an important part also in more exotic systems in which the simple BCS-type pairing of atoms is prevented by polarising the gas. Superfluidity and phase separation in such spin-imbalanced gases has been experimentally observed. We have suggested the use of radio-frequency spectroscopy for observing exotic polarised superfluid states, present at the edges of the atom cloud.