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

Physical Review C

Pair condensation in a finite Fermi system

Michelangelo Sambataro

Published May 11, 2007• 23 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The lowest seniority-zero eigenstates of an exactly solvable multilevel pairing Hamiltonian for a finite Fermi system are examined at different pairing regimes. After briefly reviewing the form of the eigenstates in the Richardson formalism, we discuss a different representation of these states in terms of the collective pairs resulting from the diagonalization of the Hamiltonian in a space of two degenerate time-reversed fermions. We perform a two-fold analysis by working both in the fermionic space of these collective pairs and in a space of corresponding elementary bosons. On the fermionic side, we monitor the variations which occur, with increasing the pairing strength, in the structure of both these collective pairs and the lowest eigenstates. On the bosonic side, after reviewing a fermion-boson mapping procedure, we construct exact images of the fermion eigenstates and study their wave function. The analysis allows a close examination of the phenomenon of pair condensation in a finite Fermi system and gives new insights into the evolution of the lowest (seniority-zero) excited states of a pairing Hamiltonian from the unperturbed regime up to a strongly interacting one.

DOI
10.1103/physrevc.75.054314

Related papers

Excited states of zero seniority based on a pair condensate

Th. Popa, Nicolae Sandulescu, Michelangelo Sambataro

We study the excited states of zero seniority for various like-particle systems interacting by pairing forces and by general two-body interactions. We consider two types of excitations, generated from a ground state described by a pair condensate. One type is obtained by breaking a pair from the ground-state condensate and replacing it by ``excited'' collective pairs built on time-reversed single-particle orbits. The second type of zero-seniority excited states is described by a condensate of identical excited pairs. The structure of these excited states is analyzed for the picket fence model and for the valence neutrons of $^{108}\mathrm{Sn}$. For a state-depending pairing interaction, the first type of excited states agree well with the $J=0$ states which are known in $^{108}\mathrm{Sn}$. At the same time, these states can be also associated unambiguously with those exact states which are the closest in energy to the experimental levels. The states corresponding to the excited pair condensate (EPC) appear at low energies, around the energy of the second-excited state of the first type, and they do not have a simple correspondence with exact eigenstates. However, at a much higher excitation energy there is an exact state which is similar in structure to an EPC state. It is shown that this EPC state has the features of a giant pairing vibration.

arXiv:2212.08919•Physical Review C•Mar 29, 2023•1 citation

The many levels pairing Hamiltonian for two pairs

M. B. Barbaro, R. Cenni, Alfredo Molinari +1 more

We address the problem of two pairs of fermions living on an arbitrary number of single particle levels of a potential well (mean field) and interacting through a pairing force. The associated solutions of the Richardson’s equations are classified in terms of a number vl, which reduces to the seniority v in the limit of large values of the pairing strength G and yields the number of pairs not developing a collective behaviour, their energy remaining finite in the G → ∞ limit. We express analytically, through the moments of the single particle levels distribution, the collective mode energy and the two critical values G + cr and G − cr of the coupling which can exist on a single particle level with no pair degeneracy. Notably G + cr and G − cr merge when the number of single particle levels goes to infinity, where they coincide with the Gcr (when it exists) of a one pair system, not envisioned by the Richardson theory. In correspondence of Gcr the system undergoes a transition from a mean field to a pairing dominated regime. We finally explore the behaviour of the excitation energies, wave functions and pair transfer amplitudes finding out that the former, for G> G − cr, come close to the BCS predictions, whereas the latter display a divergence at Gcr, signaling the onset of a long range off-diagonal order in the system. PACS numbers: 21.60.-n, 21.30 Fe, 24.10.Cn 1 1

•Jan 1, 2004•2 citations

Treatment of the like-particle pairing of quartets

M Sambataro, Nicolae Sandulescu

The ground state correlations induced by a general pairing Hamiltonian in a finite system of like fermions are described in terms of four-body correlated structures (quartets). These are real superpositions of the products of two pairs of particles in time-reversed states. Quartets are determined variationally through an iterative sequence of diagonalizations of the Hamiltonian in restricted model spaces and are, in principle, all distinct from one another. The ground state is represented as a product of quartets to which, depending on the number of particles (supposed to be even, in any case), an extra collective pair is added. The extra pair is also determined variationally. In the case of pairing in a spherically symmetric mean field, both the quartets and the extra pair (if any) are characterized by a total angular momentum J = 0. Realistic applications of the quartet formalism are carried out for Sn isotopes with valence neutrons in the 50–82 neutron shell. The exact ground state correlation energies, occupation numbers and pair transfer matrix elements are reproduced to a very high degree of precision. The formalism also lends itself to a straightforward and accurate description of the lowest seniority 0 and 2 excited states of the pairing Hamiltonian. A simplified representation of the ground state as a product of identical quartets is eventually discussed and found to improve considerably upon the more traditional particle-number projected BCS approach.

arXiv:1303.4553•Journal of Physics G Nuclear and Particle Physics•Apr 9, 2013•17 citations

Treatment of like-particle pairing with quartets

Michelangelo Sambataro, Nicolae Sandulescu

The ground state correlations induced by a general pairing Hamiltonian in a finite system of like fermions are described in terms of four-body correlated structures (quartets). These are real superpositions of products of two pairs of particles in time-reversed states. Quartets are determined variationally through an iterative sequence of diagonalizations of the Hamiltonian in restricted model spaces and are, in principle, all distinct from one another. The ground state is represented as a product of quartets to which, depending on the number of particles (supposed to be even, in any case), an extra collective pair is added. The extra pair is also determined variationally. In case of pairing in a spherically symmetric mean field, both the quartets and the extra pair (if any) are characterized by a total angular momentum J=0. Realistic applications of the quartet formalism are carried out for the Sn isotopes with the valence neutrons in the 50-82 neutron shell. Exact ground state correlation energies, occupation numbers and pair transfer matrix elements are reproduced to a very high degree of precision. The formalism also lends itself to a straightforward and accurate description of the lowest seniority 0 and 2 excited states of the pairing Hamiltonian. A simplified representation of the ground state as a product of identical quartets is eventually discussed and found to improve considerably upon the more traditional particle-number projected-BCS approach.

•Aug 16, 2016•15 citations

Quartet condensation induced by the isovector pairing force

M Sambataro, Nicolae Sandulescu

Abstract The phenomenon of quartet condensation in the ground state of an isovector pairing Hamiltonian for an even–even N = Z system is investigated. For this purpose we follow the evolution of the ground state from an unperturbed regime up to a strongly interacting one in a formalism of collective pairs. These pairs are those resulting from the diagonalization of the pairing Hamiltonian in a space of two particles coupled to isospin T = 1. The ground state is found to rapidly evolve from a product of distinct T = 0 quartets, each one formed by two of the above pairs, to a condensate of identical quartets built only with the pair corresponding to the lowest energy. This finding establishes a link between the complicated structure of the exact ground state and the simple approximation scheme of the quartet condensation model. The mechanism at the basis of this quartet condensation turns out to be the same which is responsible for the development of a pair condensate in the ground state of a like-particle pairing Hamiltonian.

arXiv:2005.07413•Journal of Physics G Nuclear and Particle Physics•Aug 17, 2020•3 citations

Seniority Eigenstate Configuration Interaction

Thomas M. Henderson, Guo P. Chen, Gustavo E. Scuseria

Zero-seniority methods have shown great promise for the description of strongly-correlated electronic systems. Other seniority sectors have been much less explored, and in particular the maximal seniority sector and zero seniority have the same underlying algebraic structure. We introduce a seniority eigenstate configuration interaction in which the wave function is constrained to have good fixed local seniority for each paired orbital, by which we mean we partition orbitals into a pairing set with seniority zero, and a spin set with seniority one. We show how to build the effective Hamiltonian for this ansatz, and demonstrate that high-seniority wave functions have unexpectedly excellent accuracy for strongly-correlated fermionic systems, with accuracy competitive with or better than seniority zero for the Hubbard model and for the dissociation of the nitrogen molecule.

arXiv:2604.19063•Apr 21, 2026•0 citations
The lowest seniority-zero eigenstates of an exactly solvable multilevel pairing Hamiltonian for a finite Fermi system are examined at different pairing regimes. After briefly reviewing the form of the eigenstates in the Richardson formalism, we discuss a different representation of these states in terms of the collective pairs resulting from the diagonalization of the Hamiltonian in a space of two degenerate time-reversed fermions. We perform a two-fold analysis by working both in the fermionic space of these collective pairs and in a space of corresponding elementary bosons. On the fermionic side, we monitor the variations which occur, with increasing the pairing strength, in the structure of both these collective pairs and the lowest eigenstates. On the bosonic side, after reviewing a fermion-boson mapping procedure, we construct exact images of the fermion eigenstates and study their wave function. The analysis allows a close examination of the phenomenon of pair condensation in a finite Fermi system and gives new insights into the evolution of the lowest (seniority-zero) excited states of a pairing Hamiltonian from the unperturbed regime up to a strongly interacting one.
We study the excited states of zero seniority for various like-particle systems interacting by pairing forces and by general two-body interactions. We consider two types of excitations, generated from a ground state described by a pair condensate. One type is obtained by breaking a pair from the ground-state condensate and replacing it by ``excited'' collective pairs built on time-reversed single-particle orbits. The second type of zero-seniority excited states is described by a condensate of identical excited pairs. The structure of these excited states is analyzed for the picket fence model and for the valence neutrons of 108Sn^{108}\mathrm{Sn}108Sn. For a state-depending pairing interaction, the first type of excited states agree well with the J=0J=0J=0 states which are known in 108Sn^{108}\mathrm{Sn}108Sn. At the same time, these states can be also associated unambiguously with those exact states which are the closest in energy to the experimental levels. The states corresponding to the excited pair condensate (EPC) appear at low energies, around the energy of the second-excited state of the first type, and they do not have a simple correspondence with exact eigenstates. However, at a much higher excitation energy there is an exact state which is similar in structure to an EPC state. It is shown that this EPC state has the features of a giant pairing vibration.
We address the problem of two pairs of fermions living on an arbitrary number of single particle levels of a potential well (mean field) and interacting through a pairing force. The associated solutions of the Richardson’s equations are classified in terms of a number vl, which reduces to the seniority v in the limit of large values of the pairing strength G and yields the number of pairs not developing a collective behaviour, their energy remaining finite in the G → ∞ limit. We express analytically, through the moments of the single particle levels distribution, the collective mode energy and the two critical values G + cr and G − cr of the coupling which can exist on a single particle level with no pair degeneracy. Notably G + cr and G − cr merge when the number of single particle levels goes to infinity, where they coincide with the Gcr (when it exists) of a one pair system, not envisioned by the Richardson theory. In correspondence of Gcr the system undergoes a transition from a mean field to a pairing dominated regime. We finally explore the behaviour of the excitation energies, wave functions and pair transfer amplitudes finding out that the former, for G> G − cr, come close to the BCS predictions, whereas the latter display a divergence at Gcr, signaling the onset of a long range off-diagonal order in the system. PACS numbers: 21.60.-n, 21.30 Fe, 24.10.Cn 1 1
The ground state correlations induced by a general pairing Hamiltonian in a finite system of like fermions are described in terms of four-body correlated structures (quartets). These are real superpositions of the products of two pairs of particles in time-reversed states. Quartets are determined variationally through an iterative sequence of diagonalizations of the Hamiltonian in restricted model spaces and are, in principle, all distinct from one another. The ground state is represented as a product of quartets to which, depending on the number of particles (supposed to be even, in any case), an extra collective pair is added. The extra pair is also determined variationally. In the case of pairing in a spherically symmetric mean field, both the quartets and the extra pair (if any) are characterized by a total angular momentum J = 0. Realistic applications of the quartet formalism are carried out for Sn isotopes with valence neutrons in the 50–82 neutron shell. The exact ground state correlation energies, occupation numbers and pair transfer matrix elements are reproduced to a very high degree of precision. The formalism also lends itself to a straightforward and accurate description of the lowest seniority 0 and 2 excited states of the pairing Hamiltonian. A simplified representation of the ground state as a product of identical quartets is eventually discussed and found to improve considerably upon the more traditional particle-number projected BCS approach.
The ground state correlations induced by a general pairing Hamiltonian in a finite system of like fermions are described in terms of four-body correlated structures (quartets). These are real superpositions of products of two pairs of particles in time-reversed states. Quartets are determined variationally through an iterative sequence of diagonalizations of the Hamiltonian in restricted model spaces and are, in principle, all distinct from one another. The ground state is represented as a product of quartets to which, depending on the number of particles (supposed to be even, in any case), an extra collective pair is added. The extra pair is also determined variationally. In case of pairing in a spherically symmetric mean field, both the quartets and the extra pair (if any) are characterized by a total angular momentum J=0. Realistic applications of the quartet formalism are carried out for the Sn isotopes with the valence neutrons in the 50-82 neutron shell. Exact ground state correlation energies, occupation numbers and pair transfer matrix elements are reproduced to a very high degree of precision. The formalism also lends itself to a straightforward and accurate description of the lowest seniority 0 and 2 excited states of the pairing Hamiltonian. A simplified representation of the ground state as a product of identical quartets is eventually discussed and found to improve considerably upon the more traditional particle-number projected-BCS approach.
Abstract The phenomenon of quartet condensation in the ground state of an isovector pairing Hamiltonian for an even–even N = Z system is investigated. For this purpose we follow the evolution of the ground state from an unperturbed regime up to a strongly interacting one in a formalism of collective pairs. These pairs are those resulting from the diagonalization of the pairing Hamiltonian in a space of two particles coupled to isospin T = 1. The ground state is found to rapidly evolve from a product of distinct T = 0 quartets, each one formed by two of the above pairs, to a condensate of identical quartets built only with the pair corresponding to the lowest energy. This finding establishes a link between the complicated structure of the exact ground state and the simple approximation scheme of the quartet condensation model. The mechanism at the basis of this quartet condensation turns out to be the same which is responsible for the development of a pair condensate in the ground state of a like-particle pairing Hamiltonian.
Zero-seniority methods have shown great promise for the description of strongly-correlated electronic systems. Other seniority sectors have been much less explored, and in particular the maximal seniority sector and zero seniority have the same underlying algebraic structure. We introduce a seniority eigenstate configuration interaction in which the wave function is constrained to have good fixed local seniority for each paired orbital, by which we mean we partition orbitals into a pairing set with seniority zero, and a spin set with seniority one. We show how to build the effective Hamiltonian for this ansatz, and demonstrate that high-seniority wave functions have unexpectedly excellent accuracy for strongly-correlated fermionic systems, with accuracy competitive with or better than seniority zero for the Hubbard model and for the dissociation of the nitrogen molecule.