We study the kinetics of the first order phase separation transition in boson-fermion cold-atom mixtures. At sufficiently low temperatures such a transition is driven by quantum fluctuations responsible for the formation of critical nuclei of a stable phase. Based on a microscopic description of interacting boson-fermion mixtures we derive an effective action for the critical droplet and obtain an asymptotic expression for the nucleation rate in the vicinity of the phase transition and near the spinodal instability of the mixed phase. We also discuss effects of dissipation which play a dominant role close to the transition point, and identify the regimes where quantum nucleation can be experimentally observed in cold-atom systems.We study the kinetics of the first order phase separation transition in boson-fermion cold-atom mixtures. At sufficiently low temperatures such a transition is driven by quantum fluctuations responsible for the formation of critical nuclei of a stable phase. Based on a microscopic description of interacting boson-fermion mixtures we derive an effective action for the critical droplet and obtain an asymptotic expression for the nucleation rate in the vicinity of the phase transition and near the spinodal instability of the mixed phase. We also discuss effects of dissipation which play a dominant role close to the transition point, and identify the regimes where quantum nucleation can be experimentally observed in cold-atom systems.

arXiv:0712.0557Physical Review LettersApr 15, 20084 citations

On phase-separation in Fermi-Bose mixtures

J. M. J. van Leeuwen, E. G. D. Cohen

Physics Letters ADec 1, 19674 citations

Quantum nucleation and macroscopic quantum tunneling in cold-atom boson-fermion mixtures

Dmitry Solenov, Dmitry Mozyrsky

The kinetics of the phase separation transition in boson-fermion cold-atom mixtures is investigated. We identify the parameters at which the transition is governed by a quantum nucleation mechanism, responsible for the formation of critical nuclei of a stable phase. We demonstrate that for low fermion-boson mass ratio the density dependence of the quantum nucleation transition rate is experimentally observable. The crossover to the macroscopic quantum tunneling regime is analyzed. Based on a microscopic description of interacting cold-atom boson-fermion mixtures, we derive an effective action for the critical droplet and obtain an asymptotic expression for the nucleation rate in the vicinity of the phase transition and near the spinodal instability of the mixed phase. We show that dissipation due to excitations in the fermion subsystem play a dominant role close to the transition point.The kinetics of the phase separation transition in boson-fermion cold-atom mixtures is investigated. We identify the parameters at which the transition is governed by a quantum nucleation mechanism, responsible for the formation of critical nuclei of a stable phase. We demonstrate that for low fermion-boson mass ratio the density dependence of the quantum nucleation transition rate is experimentally observable. The crossover to the macroscopic quantum tunneling regime is analyzed. Based on a microscopic description of interacting cold-atom boson-fermion mixtures, we derive an effective action for the critical droplet and obtain an asymptotic expression for the nucleation rate in the vicinity of the phase transition and near the spinodal instability of the mixed phase. We show that dissipation due to excitations in the fermion subsystem play a dominant role close to the transition point.

arXiv:0810.3061Physical Review ANov 5, 20082 citations

Odd-frequency pairing in a binary mixture of bosonic and fermionic cold atoms

Ryan M. Kalas, Alexander V. Balatsky, Dmitry Mozyrsky

We study fermionic superfluidity in a boson-single-species-fermion cold-atom mixture. We argue that apart from the standard $p$ -wave fermion pairing mediated by the phonon field of the boson gas, the system also exhibits $s$ -wave pairing with the anomalous correlator being an odd function of time or frequency. We show that such a superfluid phase can have a much higher transition temperature than the $p$ -wave and may exist for sufficiently strong couplings between fermions and bosons. These conditions for odd-frequency pairing are favorable close to the value of the coupling at which the mixture phase separates. We evaluate the critical temperatures for this system and discuss the experimental realization of this superfluid in ultracold atomic gases.We study fermionic superfluidity in a boson-single-species-fermion cold-atom mixture. We argue that apart from the standard $p$-wave fermion pairing mediated by the phonon field of the boson gas, the system also exhibits $s$-wave pairing with the anomalous correlator being an odd function of time or frequency. We show that such a superfluid phase can have a much higher transition temperature than the $p$-wave and may exist for sufficiently strong couplings between fermions and bosons. These conditions for odd-frequency pairing are favorable close to the value of the coupling at which the mixture phase separates. We evaluate the critical temperatures for this system and discuss the experimental realization of this superfluid in ultracold atomic gases.

arXiv:0806.0419Physical Review BNov 18, 200819 citations

Quantum Phase Transition in a Cold Atomic Spin-Boson Mixture

Peter P. Orth, Ivan Stanić, Karyn Le Hur

Bulletin of the American Physical SocietyMar 10, 20080 citations

We study fermionic superfluidity in a boson-single-species-fermion cold-atom mixture. We argue that apart from the standard

p

-wave fermion pairing mediated by the phonon field of the boson gas, the system also exhibits

s

-wave pairing with the anomalous correlator being an odd function of time or frequency. We show that such a superfluid phase can have a much higher transition temperature than the

p

-wave and may exist for sufficiently strong couplings between fermions and bosons. These conditions for odd-frequency pairing are favorable close to the value of the coupling at which the mixture phase separates. We evaluate the critical temperatures for this system and discuss the experimental realization of this superfluid in ultracold atomic gases.