Finite temperature phase diagram of a polarized Fermi gas in an optical lattice

We present phase diagrams for a polarized Fermi gas in an optical lattice as a function of temperature, polarization, and lattice filling factor. We consider the Fulde-Ferrel-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO), Sarma or breached pair (BP), and BCS phases, and the normal state and phase separation. We show that the FFLO phase appears in a considerable portion of the phase diagram. The diagrams have two critical points of different nature. We show how various phases leave clear signatures to momentum distributions of the atoms which can be observed after time of flight expansion.Comment: Journal versio

Neutrality of a magnetized two-flavor quark superconductor

We investigate the effect of electric and color charge neutrality on the two-flavor color superconducting (2SC) phase of cold and dense quark matter in presence of constant external magnetic fields and at moderate baryon densities. Within the framework of the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model, we study the inter-dependent evolution of the quark's BCS gap and constituent mass with increasing density and magnetic field. While confirming previous results derived for the highly magnetized 2SC phase with color neutrality alone, we obtain new results as a consequence of imposing charge neutrality. In the charge neutral gapless 2SC phase (g2SC), a large magnetic field drives the color superconducting phase transition to a crossover, while the chiral phase transition is first order. At larger diquark-to-scalar coupling ratio $G_D/G_S$, where the 2SC phase is preferred, we see hints of the Clogston-Chandrasekhar limit at a very large value of the magnetic field ($B\sim 10^{19}$G), but this limit is strongly affected by Shubnikov de Haas-van Alphen oscillations of the gap, indicating the transition to a domain-like state.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures, Matches with the published versio

Topological Structure of a Vortex in Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov State

We find theoretically that the vortex core in the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state is quite different from the ordinary core by a simple topological reason. The intersection point of a vortex and nodal plane of the FFLO state empties the excess spins. This leads to observable consequences in the spatial structure of the spontaneous magnetization. We analyze this topological structure based on the low lying excitation spectrum by solving microscopic Bogoliubov-de Gennes equation to clarify its physical origin.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Evolution of Paramagnetic Quasiparticle Excitations Emerged in the High-Field Superconducting Phase of CeCoIn5

We present In NMR measurements in a novel thermodynamic phase of CeCoIn5 in high magnetic field, where exotic superconductivity coexists with the incommensurate spin-density wave order. We show that the NMR spectra in this phase provide direct evidence for the emergence of the spatially distributed normal quasiparticle regions. The quantitative analysis for the field evolution of the paramagnetic magnetization and newly-emerged low-energy quasiparticle density of states is consistent with the nodal plane formation, which is characterized by an order parameter in the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state. The NMR spectra also suggest that the spatially uniform spin-density wave is induced in the FFLO phase.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let

Direct Imaging of Spatially Modulated Superfluid Phases in Atomic Fermion Systems

It is proposed that the spatially modulated superfluid phase, or the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state could be observed in resonant Fermion atomic condensates which are realized recently. We examine optimal experimental setups to achieve it by solving Bogoliubov-de Gennes equation both for idealized one-dimensional and realistic three-dimensional cases. The spontaneous modulation of this superfluid is shown to be directly imaged as the density profiles either by optical absorption or by Stern-Gerlach experiments.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Pair formation and collapse in imbalanced Fermion populations with unequal masses

We present an exact Quantum Monte Carlo study of the effect of unequal masses on pair formation in Fermionic systems with population imbalance loaded into optical lattices. We have considered three forms of the attractive interaction and find in all cases that the system is unstable and collapses as the mass difference increases and that the ground state becomes an inhomogeneous collapsed state. We also address the question of canonical vs grand canonical ensemble and its role, if any, in stabilizing certain phases

Noise correlations of the ultra-cold Fermi gas in an optical lattice

In this paper we study the density noise correlations of the two component Fermi gas in optical lattices. Three different type of phases, the BCS-state (Bardeen, Cooper, and Schieffer), the FFLO-state (Fulde, Ferrel, Larkin, and Ovchinnikov), and BP (breach pair) state, are considered. We show how these states differ in their noise correlations. The noise correlations are calculated not only at zero temperature, but also at non-zero temperatures paying particular attention to how much the finite temperature effects might complicate the detection of different phases. Since one-dimensional systems have been shown to be very promising candidates to observe FFLO states, we apply our results also to the computation of correlation signals in a one-dimensional lattice. We find that the density noise correlations reveal important information about the structure of the underlying order parameter as well as about the quasiparticle dispersions.Comment: 25 pages, 11 figures. Some figures are updated and text has been modifie

Critical phenomena in a highly constrained classical spin system: Neel ordering from the Coulomb phase

Many classical, geometrically frustrated antiferromagnets have macroscopically degenerate ground states. In a class of three-dimensional systems, the set of degenerate ground states has power-law correlations and is an example of a Coulomb phase. We investigate Neel ordering from such a Coulomb phase, induced by weak additional interactions that lift the degeneracy. We show that the critical point belongs to a universality class that is different from the one for the equivalent transition out of the paramagnetic phase, and that it is characterised by effective long-range interactions; alternatively, ordering may be discontinuous. We suggest that a transition of this type may be realised by applying uniaxial stress to a pyrochlore antiferromagnet.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Generic Phase Diagram of Fermion Superfluids with Population Imbalance

It is shown by microscopic calculations for trapped imbalanced Fermi superfluids that the gap function has always sign changes, i.e., the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state like, up to a critical imbalance $P_c$, beyond which normal state becomes stable, at temperature T=0. A phase diagram is constructed in $T$ vs $P$, where the BCS state without sign change is stable only at $T\neq 0$. We reproduce the observed bimodality in the density profile to identify its origin and evaluate $P_c$ as functions of $T$ and the coupling strength. These dependencies match with the recent experiments.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, replaced by the version to appear in PR