arXiv:cond-mat/0507316 · Physical Review Letters
Momentum Distribution of a Fermi Gas of Atoms in the BCS-BEC Crossover
Cindy A. Regal, Markus Greiner, S. Giorgini, Murray Holland, D. S. Jin
Abstract
We observe dramatic changes in the atomic momentum distribution of a Fermi gas in the crossover region between the BCS theory superconductivity and Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of molecules. We study the shape of the momentum distribution and the kinetic energy as a function of interaction strength. The momentum distributions are compared to a mean-field crossover theory, and the kinetic energy is compared to theories for the two weakly interacting limits. This measurement provides a unique probe of pairing in a strongly interacting Fermi gas.