Universal Thermodynamics of a Strongly Interacting Fermi Gas

Journal Article · Thu Sep 07 00:00:00 EDT 2006 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2354611· OSTI ID:20884862

Thomas, J E; Kinast, J; Turlapov, A ^[1]

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1. Physics Department, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0305 (United States)

We study the properties of an optically-trapped, Fermi gas of 6Li atoms, near the center of a broad Feshbach resonance, where strong interactions are observed. Strongly interacting Fermi gases exhibit universal behavior, and are of interest as models of exotic systems ranging from high temperature superconductors to neutron stars and quark-gluon plasmas. We measure the frequency and damping rate of the radial breathing mode of the trapped gas and consider quantum viscosity as a damping mechanism. We also demonstrate that the virial theorem holds and measure the heat capacity. In the experiments, energy is precisely added to the gas and an empirical temperature is determined from the spatial profiles of the cloud. Transitions are observed in both the damping rate and the heat capacity, measured as functions of the empirical temperature. Recent theory, using a pseudogap formalism, enables the first temperature calibration, and shows that the observed transition temperatures are close to that predicted for the onset of superfluidity in a strongly attractive Fermi gas.

• OSTI ID: 20884862
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 850, Issue 1; Conference: LT24: 24. international conference on low temperature physics, Orlando, FL (United States), 10-17 Aug 2005; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2354611; (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ATOMS
CALIBRATION
DAMPING
FERMI GAS
FERMIONS
HIGH-TC SUPERCONDUCTORS
LITHIUM 6
NEUTRON STARS
QUARK MATTER
RADIATION PRESSURE
RESONANCE
SPECIFIC HEAT
STRONG INTERACTIONS
SUPERFLUIDITY
THERMODYNAMICS
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
TRAPPING
VIRIAL THEOREM
VISCOSITY