arXiv:1508.06691 · Physical Review A
Pairing fluctuations and an anisotropic pseudogap phenomenon in an ultracold superfluid Fermi gas with plural p -wave superfluid phases
Daisuke Inotani, Yoji Ohashi
Abstract
We investigate the superfluid properties of a one-component Fermi gas with a uniaxially anisotropic $p$-wave pairing interaction, ${U}_{x}>{U}_{y}={U}_{z}$ [where ${U}_{i}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}(i=x,y,z)$ is a ${p}_{i}$-wave pairing interaction]. This type of interaction is considered to be realized in a $^{40}\mathrm{K}$ Fermi gas. Including pairing fluctuations within a strong-coupling $T$-matrix theory, we determine the ${p}_{x}$-wave superfluid phase transition temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{c}}^{{p}_{x}}$, as well as the other phase transition temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{c}}^{{p}_{x}+i{p}_{y}}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}(<{T}_{\mathrm{c}}^{{p}_{x}})$, below which the superfluid order parameter has the ${p}_{x}+i{p}_{y}$-wave symmetry. In the normal state near ${T}_{\mathrm{c}}^{{p}_{x}}, {p}_{x}$-wave pairing fluctuations are shown to induce an anisotropic pseudogap phenomenon, where a dip structure in the angle-resolved density of states around $\ensuremath{\omega}=0$ is the most remarkable in the ${p}_{x}$ direction. In the ${p}_{x}$-wave superfluid phase $({T}_{\mathrm{c}}^{{p}_{x}+i{p}_{y}}<T\ensuremath{\le}{T}_{\mathrm{c}}^{{p}_{x}})$, while the pseudogap in the ${p}_{x}$ direction continuously changes to the superfluid gap, the pseudogap in the perpendicular direction to the ${p}_{x}$ axis is found to continue developing because of enhanced ${p}_{y}$-wave and ${p}_{z}$-wave pairing fluctuations around the node of the ${p}_{x}$-wave superfluid order parameter. Since pairing fluctuations are always suppressed in the isotropic $s$-wave superfluid state, this phenomenon is peculiar to an unconventional Fermi superfluid with a nodal superfluid order parameter. Since the $p$-wave Fermi superfluid is the most promising non-$s$-wave pairing state in an ultracold Fermi gas, our results would contribute to understanding how the anisotropic pairing fluctuations, as well as the existence of plural superfluid phases, affect many-body properties of this unconventional Fermi superfluid.