We report the observation of a pairing in a number polarized two-component
gas of atomic fermions. Beyond a critical polarization, the gas separates into
a superfluid paired core surrounded by a shell of normal unpaired fermions. The
critical polarization diminishes with decreasing attractive interaction. We
also measure the parameter \beta = 0.54 (5) describing the universal energy of
a strongly interacting Fermi gas, and find good agreement with most recent
theory. These results are relevant to predictions of exotic new phases of quark
matter and of strongly magnetized superconductors

Hulet, Randall G.

Kamar, Ramsey I.

Li, Wenhui

Liao, Yean-an

Partridge, Guthrie B.

English

arXiv

We report the observation of pairing in a gas of atomic fermions with unequal numbers of two components. Beyond a critical polarization, the gas separates into a phase that is consistent with a superfluid paired core surrounded by a shell of normal unpaired fermions. The critical polarization diminishes with decreasing attractive interaction. For near-zero polarization, we measured the parameter β = –0.54 ± 0.05, describing the universal energy of a strongly interacting paired Fermi gas, and found good agreement with recent theory. These results are relevant to predictions of exotic new phases of quark matter and of strongly magnetized superconductors

Pairing and Phase Separation in a Polarized Fermi Gas

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