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Title: Spectroscopy of the soliton lattice formation in quasi-one-dimensional fermionic superfluids with population imbalance

Journal Article · · Physical Review. A
 [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Joint Quantum Institute and Condensed Matter Theory Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742-4111 (United States)

Motivated by recent experiments in low-dimensional trapped fermionic superfluids, we study a quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) superfluid with a population imbalance between two hyperfine states using an exact mean-field solution for the order parameter. When an effective 'magnetic field' exceeds a critical value, the superfluid order parameter develops spatial inhomogeneity in the form of a soliton lattice. The soliton lattice generates a band of quasiparticle states inside the energy gap, which originate from the Andreev bound states localized at the solitons. Emergence of the soliton lattice is accompanied by formation of a spin-density wave, with the majority fermions residing at the points in space where the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) order parameter vanishes. We discuss possibilities for experimental detection of the quasi-1D FFLO state using elastic and inelastic optical Bragg scattering and radiofrequency spectroscopy. We show that these measurements can provide necessary information for unambiguous identification of the spatially inhomogeneous quasi-1D FFLO state and the soliton lattice formation.

OSTI ID:
22068754
Journal Information:
Physical Review. A, Vol. 84, Issue 3; Other Information: (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: Syrian Arab Republic; ISSN 1050-2947
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English