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:1803.02529 · Physical Review A

Long-lived trimers in a quasi-two-dimensional Fermi system

Emma Laird, Thomas Kirk, Meera M. Parish, Jesper Levinsen

Published Apr 30, 2018• 5 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We consider the problem of three distinguishable fermions confined to a quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) geometry, where there is a strong harmonic potential in one direction. We go beyond previous theoretical work and investigate the three-body bound states (trimers) for the case where the two-body short-range interactions between fermions are unequal. Using the scattering parameters from experiments on ultracold $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ atoms, we calculate the trimer spectrum throughout the crossover from two to three dimensions. We find that the deepest Efimov trimer in the $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ system is unaffected by realistic quasi-2D confinements, while the first excited trimer smoothly evolves from a three-dimensional-like Efimov trimer to an extended 2D-like trimer as the attractive interactions are decreased. We furthermore compute the excited trimer wave function and quantify the stability of the trimer against decay into a dimer and an atom by determining the probability that three fermions approach each other at short distances. Our results indicate that the lifetime of the trimer can be enhanced by at least an order of magnitude in the quasi-2D geometry, thus opening the door to realizing long-lived trimers in three-component Fermi gases.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.97.042711

Related papers

Three-component Fermi gases in quasi-two-dimensional geometries

T. Kirk

This thesis concerns quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) ultracold Fermi systems with short range interactions. Here, quasi-2D geometries are those that lie between two- and three-dimensions. We study few- and many-body systems composed of two or three distinguishable species of fermions. Of principle interest are the bound states that form in these systems and how these bound states are affected by the quasi-2D geometries. In the first research chapter, we focus on the two-dimensional (2D) regime of quasi- 2D. We begin by developing an effective 2D model of this 2D-like geometry. We use this model to analyse a Fermi system consisting of three fermionic species with equal interactions between all distinguishable pairs. Starting with the few-body problem, we show that there is always a three-body bound state (trimer) in the effective 2D model and that these 2D trimers are stable. This is notably different from the extremely unstable ‘Efimov’ trimers found in three-dimensional (3D) systems. Using a low-density expansion and a variational approach, we investigate the fate of the 2D trimers as the system’s density is increased from the three-body limit to the many-body limit. We find that remnants of trimers can persist in the form of strong three-body correlations in the many-body system. In the second research chapter, we analyse a realistic experimental system of three distinguishable fermions confined to quasi-2D. We develop a model that goes beyond the previous chapter in two regards. Firstly, we allow for unequal interactions between the pairs of fermions. Secondly, we use a full quasi-2D model that is not specific to the 2D-like regime. With this general model, we use the scattering and confinement parameters from experiments on ultracold 6Li atoms to calculate the trimer spectrum across the dimensional crossover from 2D to 3D. We show that one state smoothly evolves from an unstable 3D-like trimer to a 2D-like trimer as the attractive interactions are decreased. We furthermore compute the trimer wave function and quantify the stability of the trimer with respect to three-body recombination by determining the probability that three fermions approach each other at short distances. Our results indicate that the lifetime of the trimer can be enhanced by at least an order of magnitude in the quasi-2D geometry. This opens the door to realising long-lifetime trimers in ultracold gas experiments and furthermore, the many-body state of trimers predicted in the preceding chapter. vii In the final research chapter, we examine an alternative approach to accessing quasi-2D geometries by using a system of coupled 2D planes. We study the two-component Fermi gas in this geometry, as a preliminary to studying the three-component gas. We find that the interplanar coupling can be tuned to drive a dimensional crossover from 2D to 3D. We study the effect of this dimensional crossover on the two- and many-body systems. In general, we find that two-body correlations are strengthened by weakening the coupling between 2D planes. In the many-body system, we use mean-field theory to find that the critical temperature of pairing is increased by weakening the coupling between 2D planes. This represents a first step towards a more general representation of quasi-2D geometries, namely: A system of coupled quasi-2D planes.

•Jul 28, 2018•0 citations

Bound States in a Quasi-Two-Dimensional Fermi Gas

Jesper Levinsen, Meera M. Parish

We consider the problem of $N$ identical fermions of mass ${m}_{\ensuremath{\uparrow}}$ and one distinguishable particle of mass ${m}_{\ensuremath{\downarrow}}$ interacting via short-range interactions in a confined quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) geometry. For $N=2$ and mass ratios ${m}_{\ensuremath{\uparrow}}/{m}_{\ensuremath{\downarrow}}<13.6$, we find non-Efimov trimers that smoothly evolve from 2D to 3D. In the limit of strong 2D confinement, we show that the energy of the $N+1$ system can be approximated by an effective two-channel model. We use this approximation to solve the $3+1$ problem and we find that a bound tetramer can exist for mass ratios ${m}_{\ensuremath{\uparrow}}/{m}_{\ensuremath{\downarrow}}$ as low as 5 for strong confinement, thus providing the first example of a universal, non-Efimov tetramer involving three identical fermions.

arXiv:1207.0459•Physical Review Letters•Jan 29, 2013•42 citations

Three-body correlations in a two-dimensional SU(3) Fermi gas

Thomas Kirk, Meera M. Parish

We consider a three-component Fermi gas that has SU(3) symmetry and is confined to two dimensions (2D). For realistic cold atomic gas experiments, we show that the phase diagram of the quasi-2D system can be characterized using two 2D scattering parameters: the scattering length and the effective range. Unlike the case in three dimensions (3D), we argue that three-body bound states (trimers) in the quasi-2D system can be stable against three-body losses. Using a low-density expansion coupled with a variational approach, we investigate the fate of such trimers in the many-body system as the attractive interactions are decreased (or, conversely, as the density of particles is increased). We find that remnants of trimers can persist in the form of strong three-body correlations in the weak-coupling (high-density) limit.

arXiv:1704.06772•Physical Review A•Nov 10, 2017•21 citations

Three-body problem in a two-dimensional Fermi gas

Ngampruetikorn, V, Parish, MM, Jesper Levinsen

We investigate the three-body properties of two identical ↑ fermions and one distinguishable ↓ atom interacting in a strongly confined two-dimensional geometry.We compute exactly the atom-dimer scattering properties and the three-body recombination rate as a function of collision energy and mass ratio m ↑ /m ↓ .We find that the recombination rate for fermions is strongly energy dependent, with significant contributions from higher partial waves at low energies.For m ↑ m ↓ , the s-wave atom-dimer scattering below threshold is completely described by the scattering length.Furthermore, we examine the ↑↑↓ bound states (trimers) appearing at large m ↑ /m ↓ and find that the energy spectrum for the deepest bound trimers resembles that of a hydrogen atom confined to two dimensions.

•Apr 1, 2013•14 citations

Three-body problem in a two-dimensional Fermi gas

Vudtiwat Ngampruetikorn, Meera M. Parish, Jesper Levinsen

We investigate the three-body properties of two identical "up" fermions and one distinguishable "down" atom interacting in a strongly confined two-dimensional geometry. We compute exactly the atom-dimer scattering properties and the three-body recombination rate as a function of collision energy and mass ratio m_up/m_down. We find that the recombination rate for fermions is strongly energy dependent, with significant contributions from higher partial waves at low energies. For m_up < m_down, the s-wave atom-dimer scattering below threshold is completely described by the scattering length. Furthermore, we examine the "up-up-down" bound states (trimers) appearing at large m_up/m_down and find that the energy spectrum for the deepest bound trimers resembles that of a hydrogen atom confined to two dimensions.

arXiv:1211.6805•Europhysics Letters (EPL)•Apr 1, 2013•24 citations

Atom-Dimer Scattering and Long-Lived Trimers in Fermionic Mixtures

Jesper Levinsen, T. G. Tiecke, Jook T. M. Walraven +1 more

We consider a heteronuclear fermionic mixture on the molecular side of an interspecies Feshbach resonance and discuss atom-dimer scattering properties in uniform space and in the presence of an external confining potential, restricting the system to a quasi-two-dimensional geometry. We find that there is a peculiar atom-dimer p-wave resonance which can be tuned by changing the frequency of the confinement. Our results have implications for the ongoing experiments on lithium-potassium mixtures, where this mechanism allows for switching the p-wave interaction between a K atom and Li-K dimer from attractive to repulsive, and forming a weakly bound trimer with unit angular momentum. We show that such trimers are long lived and the atom-dimer resonance does not enhance inelastic relaxation in the mixture, making it an outstanding candidate for studies of p-wave resonance effects in a many-body system.

arXiv:0907.5523•Physical Review Letters•Oct 9, 2009•91 citations
We consider the problem of three distinguishable fermions confined to a quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) geometry, where there is a strong harmonic potential in one direction. We go beyond previous theoretical work and investigate the three-body bound states (trimers) for the case where the two-body short-range interactions between fermions are unequal. Using the scattering parameters from experiments on ultracold 6Li^{6}\mathrm{Li}6Li atoms, we calculate the trimer spectrum throughout the crossover from two to three dimensions. We find that the deepest Efimov trimer in the 6Li^{6}\mathrm{Li}6Li system is unaffected by realistic quasi-2D confinements, while the first excited trimer smoothly evolves from a three-dimensional-like Efimov trimer to an extended 2D-like trimer as the attractive interactions are decreased. We furthermore compute the excited trimer wave function and quantify the stability of the trimer against decay into a dimer and an atom by determining the probability that three fermions approach each other at short distances. Our results indicate that the lifetime of the trimer can be enhanced by at least an order of magnitude in the quasi-2D geometry, thus opening the door to realizing long-lived trimers in three-component Fermi gases.
This thesis concerns quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) ultracold Fermi systems with short range interactions. Here, quasi-2D geometries are those that lie between two- and three-dimensions. We study few- and many-body systems composed of two or three distinguishable species of fermions. Of principle interest are the bound states that form in these systems and how these bound states are affected by the quasi-2D geometries. In the first research chapter, we focus on the two-dimensional (2D) regime of quasi- 2D. We begin by developing an effective 2D model of this 2D-like geometry. We use this model to analyse a Fermi system consisting of three fermionic species with equal interactions between all distinguishable pairs. Starting with the few-body problem, we show that there is always a three-body bound state (trimer) in the effective 2D model and that these 2D trimers are stable. This is notably different from the extremely unstable ‘Efimov’ trimers found in three-dimensional (3D) systems. Using a low-density expansion and a variational approach, we investigate the fate of the 2D trimers as the system’s density is increased from the three-body limit to the many-body limit. We find that remnants of trimers can persist in the form of strong three-body correlations in the many-body system. In the second research chapter, we analyse a realistic experimental system of three distinguishable fermions confined to quasi-2D. We develop a model that goes beyond the previous chapter in two regards. Firstly, we allow for unequal interactions between the pairs of fermions. Secondly, we use a full quasi-2D model that is not specific to the 2D-like regime. With this general model, we use the scattering and confinement parameters from experiments on ultracold 6Li atoms to calculate the trimer spectrum across the dimensional crossover from 2D to 3D. We show that one state smoothly evolves from an unstable 3D-like trimer to a 2D-like trimer as the attractive interactions are decreased. We furthermore compute the trimer wave function and quantify the stability of the trimer with respect to three-body recombination by determining the probability that three fermions approach each other at short distances. Our results indicate that the lifetime of the trimer can be enhanced by at least an order of magnitude in the quasi-2D geometry. This opens the door to realising long-lifetime trimers in ultracold gas experiments and furthermore, the many-body state of trimers predicted in the preceding chapter. vii In the final research chapter, we examine an alternative approach to accessing quasi-2D geometries by using a system of coupled 2D planes. We study the two-component Fermi gas in this geometry, as a preliminary to studying the three-component gas. We find that the interplanar coupling can be tuned to drive a dimensional crossover from 2D to 3D. We study the effect of this dimensional crossover on the two- and many-body systems. In general, we find that two-body correlations are strengthened by weakening the coupling between 2D planes. In the many-body system, we use mean-field theory to find that the critical temperature of pairing is increased by weakening the coupling between 2D planes. This represents a first step towards a more general representation of quasi-2D geometries, namely: A system of coupled quasi-2D planes.
We consider the problem of NNN identical fermions of mass ${m}_{\ensuremath{\uparrow}}$ and one distinguishable particle of mass ${m}_{\ensuremath{\downarrow}}$ interacting via short-range interactions in a confined quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) geometry. For N=2N=2N=2 and mass ratios ${m}_{\ensuremath{\uparrow}}/{m}_{\ensuremath{\downarrow}}<13.6$, we find non-Efimov trimers that smoothly evolve from 2D to 3D. In the limit of strong 2D confinement, we show that the energy of the N+1N+1N+1 system can be approximated by an effective two-channel model. We use this approximation to solve the 3+13+13+1 problem and we find that a bound tetramer can exist for mass ratios ${m}_{\ensuremath{\uparrow}}/{m}_{\ensuremath{\downarrow}}$ as low as 5 for strong confinement, thus providing the first example of a universal, non-Efimov tetramer involving three identical fermions.
We consider a three-component Fermi gas that has SU(3) symmetry and is confined to two dimensions (2D). For realistic cold atomic gas experiments, we show that the phase diagram of the quasi-2D system can be characterized using two 2D scattering parameters: the scattering length and the effective range. Unlike the case in three dimensions (3D), we argue that three-body bound states (trimers) in the quasi-2D system can be stable against three-body losses. Using a low-density expansion coupled with a variational approach, we investigate the fate of such trimers in the many-body system as the attractive interactions are decreased (or, conversely, as the density of particles is increased). We find that remnants of trimers can persist in the form of strong three-body correlations in the weak-coupling (high-density) limit.
We investigate the three-body properties of two identical ↑ fermions and one distinguishable ↓ atom interacting in a strongly confined two-dimensional geometry.We compute exactly the atom-dimer scattering properties and the three-body recombination rate as a function of collision energy and mass ratio m ↑ /m ↓ .We find that the recombination rate for fermions is strongly energy dependent, with significant contributions from higher partial waves at low energies.For m ↑ m ↓ , the s-wave atom-dimer scattering below threshold is completely described by the scattering length.Furthermore, we examine the ↑↑↓ bound states (trimers) appearing at large m ↑ /m ↓ and find that the energy spectrum for the deepest bound trimers resembles that of a hydrogen atom confined to two dimensions.
We investigate the three-body properties of two identical "up" fermions and one distinguishable "down" atom interacting in a strongly confined two-dimensional geometry. We compute exactly the atom-dimer scattering properties and the three-body recombination rate as a function of collision energy and mass ratio m_up/m_down. We find that the recombination rate for fermions is strongly energy dependent, with significant contributions from higher partial waves at low energies. For m_up < m_down, the s-wave atom-dimer scattering below threshold is completely described by the scattering length. Furthermore, we examine the "up-up-down" bound states (trimers) appearing at large m_up/m_down and find that the energy spectrum for the deepest bound trimers resembles that of a hydrogen atom confined to two dimensions.
We consider a heteronuclear fermionic mixture on the molecular side of an interspecies Feshbach resonance and discuss atom-dimer scattering properties in uniform space and in the presence of an external confining potential, restricting the system to a quasi-two-dimensional geometry. We find that there is a peculiar atom-dimer p-wave resonance which can be tuned by changing the frequency of the confinement. Our results have implications for the ongoing experiments on lithium-potassium mixtures, where this mechanism allows for switching the p-wave interaction between a K atom and Li-K dimer from attractive to repulsive, and forming a weakly bound trimer with unit angular momentum. We show that such trimers are long lived and the atom-dimer resonance does not enhance inelastic relaxation in the mixture, making it an outstanding candidate for studies of p-wave resonance effects in a many-body system.