Density and spin response functions in ultracold fermionic atom gases

We propose a new method of detecting the onset of superfluidity in a two-component ultracold fermionic gas of atoms governed by an attractive short-range interaction. By studying the two-body correlation functions we find that a measurement of the momentum distribution of the density and spin response functions allows one to access separately the normal and anomalous densities. The change in sign at low momentum transfer of the density response function signals the transition between a BEC and a BCS regimes, characterized by small and large pairs, respectively. This change in sign of the density response function represents an unambiguous signature of the BEC to BCS crossover. Also, we predict spin rotational symmetry-breaking in this system

Four-particle condensate in strongly coupled fermion systems

Four-particle correlations in fermion systems at finite temperatures are investigated with special attention to the formation of a condensate. Instead of the instability of the normal state with respect to the onset of pairing described by the Gorkov equation, a new equation is obtained which describes the onset of quartetting. Within a model calculation for symmetric nuclear matter, we find that below a critical density, the four-particle condensation (alpha-like quartetting) is favored over deuteron condensation (triplet pairing). This pairing-quartetting competition is expected to be a general feature of interacting fermion systems, such as the excition-biexciton system in excited semiconductors. Possible experimental consequences are pointed out.Comment: LaTeX, 11 pages, 2 figures, uses psfig.sty (included), to be published in Phys. Rev. Lett., tentatively scheduled for 13 April 1998 (Volume 80, Number 15

A New Interpretation of Flux Quantization

We study the effect of Aharonov-Bohm flux on the superconducting state in metallic cylinders. Although Byers and Yang attributed flux quantization to the flux-dependent minimum of kinetic energies of the Cooper pairs, it is shown that kinetic energies do not produce any discernible oscillations in the free energy of the superconducting state (relative to that of normal state) as a function of the flux. This result is indeed anticipated by the observation of persistent current in normal metal rings at low temperature. Instead, we have found that pairing interaction depends on the flux, leading to flux quantization. When the flux $(\Phi$) is given by $\Phi=n\times hc/2e$ (with integer n), the pairing interaction and the free energy become unchanged (even n) or almost unchanged (odd n), due to degenerate-state pairing resulting from the energy level crossing. As a result, flux quantization and Little-Parks oscillations follow.Comment: Revtex, 10 pages, 6 figures, For more information, send me an e-mail at [email protected]

Dynamical moment of inertia and quadrupole vibrations in rotating nuclei

The contribution of quantum shape fluctuations to inertial properties of rotating nuclei has been analysed within the self-consistent one-dimensional cranking oscillator model. It is shown that in even-even nuclei the dynamical moment of inertia calculated in the mean field approximation is equivalent to the Thouless-Valatin moment of inertia calculated in the random phase approximation if and only if the self-consistent conditions for the mean field are fulfilled.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Two-particle pairing and phase separation in a two-dimensional Bose-gas with one or two sorts of bosons

We present a phase diagram for a dilute two-dimensional Bose-gas on a lattice. For one sort of boson we consider a realistic case of the van der Waals interaction between particles with a strong hard-core repulsion $U$ and a van der Waals attractive tail $V$. For $V< 2 t$, $t$ being a hopping amplitude, the phase diagram of the system contains regions of the usual one-particle Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC). However for $V>2t$ we have total phase separation on a Mott-Hubbard Bose solid and a dilute Bose gas. For two sorts of structureless bosons described by the two band Hubbard model an s-wave pairing of the two bosons of different sort $\neq 0$ is possible. The results we obtained should be important for different Bose systems, including submonolayers of $^4$He, excitons in semiconductors, Schwinger bosons in magnetic systems and holons in HTSC. In the HTSC case a possibility of two-holon pairing in the slave-bosons theories of superconductivity can restore a required charge $2e$ of a Cooper pair.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure

Resonance superfluidity in a quantum degenerate Fermi gas

We consider the superfluid phase transition that arises when a Feshbach resonance pairing occurs in a dilute Fermi gas. We apply our theory to consider a specific resonance in potassium-40, and find that for achievable experimental conditions, the transition to a superfluid phase is possible at the high critical temperature of about 0.5 T_F. Observation of superfluidity in this regime would provide the opportunity to experimentally study the crossover from the superfluid phase of weakly-coupled fermions to the Bose-Einstein condensation of strongly-bound composite bosons.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Cotangent bundle quantization: Entangling of metric and magnetic field

For manifolds $\cal M$ of noncompact type endowed with an affine connection (for example, the Levi-Civita connection) and a closed 2-form (magnetic field) we define a Hilbert algebra structure in the space $L^2(T^*\cal M)$ and construct an irreducible representation of this algebra in $L^2(\cal M)$. This algebra is automatically extended to polynomial in momenta functions and distributions. Under some natural conditions this algebra is unique. The non-commutative product over $T^*\cal M$ is given by an explicit integral formula. This product is exact (not formal) and is expressed in invariant geometrical terms. Our analysis reveals this product has a front, which is described in terms of geodesic triangles in $\cal M$. The quantization of $\delta$-functions induces a family of symplectic reflections in $T^*\cal M$ and generates a magneto-geodesic connection $\Gamma$ on $T^*\cal M$. This symplectic connection entangles, on the phase space level, the original affine structure on $\cal M$ and the magnetic field. In the classical approximation, the $\hbar^2$-part of the quantum product contains the Ricci curvature of $\Gamma$ and a magneto-geodesic coupling tensor.Comment: Latex, 38 pages, 5 figures, minor correction

Single Spin Superconductivity: Formulation and Ginzburg-Landau Theory

We describe a novel superconducting phase that arises due to a pairing instability of the half-metallic antiferromagnetic (HM AFM) normal state. This single spin superconducting (SSS) phase contains broken time reversal symmetry in addition to broken gauge symmetry, the former due to the underlying magnetic order in the normal state. A classification of normal state symmetries leads to the conclusion that the HM AFM normal phase whose point group contains the inversion operator contains the least symmetry possible which still allows for a zero momentum pairing instability. The Ginzburg-Landau free energy for the superconducting order parameter is constructed consistent with the symmetry of the normal phase, electromagnetic gauge invariance and the crystallographic point group symmetry including inversion. For cubic, hexagonal and tetragonal point groups, the possible symmetries of the superconducting phase are classified, and the free energy is used to construct a generalized phase diagram. We identify the leading candidate out of the possible SSS phases for each point group. The symmetry of the superconducting phase is used to determine the cases where the gap function has generic zeros (point or line nodes) on the Fermi surface. Such nodes always occur, hence thermodynamic properties will have power-law behavior at low temperature.Comment: 39 pages, RevTeX, 4 PostScript figures included, submitted to Phys. Rev.