Effective Field Theory for Cold Atoms

Abstract

Effective Field Theory (EFT) provides a powerful framework that exploits a separation of scales in physical systems to perform systematically improvable, model-independent calculations. Particularly interesting are few-body systems with short-range interactions and large two-body scattering length. Such systems display remarkable universal features. In systems with more than two particles, a three-body force with limit cycle behavior is required for consistent renormalization already at leading order. We will review this EFT and some of its applications in the physics of cold atoms. Recent extensions of this approach to the four-body system and N-boson droplets in two spatial dimensions will also be discussed.Comment: Plenary talk at 19th European Few-Body Conference, Groningen, The Netherlands, August 23-27, 2004, 7 pages, 5 figures, uses aipproc.cls, aip-6s.clo, aipxfm.st