arXiv:0910.2431 · Physical Review A
Modulated pair condensate of p -orbital ultracold fermions
Zixu Zhang, Hsiang-Hsuan Hung, Chiu Man Ho, Erhai Zhao, W. Vincent Liu
Abstract
We show that an interesting kind of pairing occurs for spin-imbalanced Fermi gases under a specific experimental condition---the spin up and spin down Fermi levels lying within the ${p}_{x}$ and $s$ orbital bands of an optical lattice, respectively. The pairs condense at a finite momentum equal to the sum of the two Fermi momenta of spin up and spin down fermions and form a $p$-orbital pair condensate. This $2{k}_{F}$ momentum dependence has been seen before in spin- and charge-density waves, but it differs from the usual $p$-wave superfluids such as $^{3}\mathrm{He}$, where the orbital symmetry refers to the relative motion within each pair. Our conclusion is based on the density matrix renormalization group analysis for the one-dimensional (1D) system and mean-field theory for the quasi-1D system. The phase diagram of the quasi-1D system is calculated, showing that the $p$-orbital pair condensate occurs in a wide range of fillings. In the strongly attractive limit, the system realizes an unconventional BEC beyond Feynman's no-node theorem. The possible experimental signatures of this phase in molecule projection experiment are discussed.