It is shown theoretically that ferromagnetic superconductors, UGe$_2$, URhGe, and UCoGe can be described in terms of the A-phase like triplet pairing similar to superfluid $^3$He in a unified way, including peculiar reentrant, S-shape, or L-shape $H_{\rm c2}$ curves. The associated double transition inevitable between the A$_1$ and A$_2$-phases in the $H$-$T$ plane is predicted, both of which are characterized by non-unitary state with broken time reversal symmetry and the half-gap. UTe$_2$, which has been discovered quite recently to be a spin-polarized superconductor, is analyzed successively in the same view point, pointing out that the expected A$_1$-A$_2$ transition is indeed emerging experimentally. Thus the four heavy Fermion compounds all together are entitled to be topologically rich solid state materials worth further investigating together with superfluid $^3$He A-phase.
We study a two-component Fermi system with attractive interactions and different populations of the two species in a cubic lattice. For an intermediate coupling we find a uniformly polarized superfluid which is stable down to very low temperatures. The momentum distribution of this phase closely resembles that of the Sarma phase, characterized by two Fermi surfaces. This phase is shown to be stabilized by a potential energy gain, as in a BCS superfluid, in contrast to the unpolarized BEC which is stabilized by kinetic energy. We present general arguments suggesting that preformed pairs in the …
We calculate the excitation spectra of a spin-polarized Hubbard chain away from half-filling, using a high-precision momentum-resolved time-dependent Density Matrix Renormalization Group method. Focusing on the U<0 case, we present in some detail the single-fermion, pair, density and spin spectra, and discuss how spin-charge separation is altered for this system. The pair spectra show a quasi-condensate at a nonzero momentum proportional to the polarization, as expected for this Fulde-Ferrel-Larkin-Ovchinnikov-like superfluid.
We investigate the superfluid properties of d-wave pairing symmetry within the Extended Hubbard Model (EHM) in a magnetic field. We analyze the temperature and magnetic field dependencies of the order parameter. We find that in the two-dimensional case, the spatially homogeneous spin polarized superfluidity ($SC(P\neq0)$) is stable in the weak coupling limit, at T=0, as opposed to the s-wave pairing symmetry case in 2D. We construct the ground state phase diagrams both for fixed chemical potential ($μ$) and electron concentration ($n$). Furthermore, we obtain the temperature vs. magnetic field…
We obtain a variety of predictions for the properties of population-imbalanced (or polarized) fermionic superfluids near their tricritical point. In the vicinity of the high-symmetry tricritical point, observable quantities such as the cloud shape, heat capacity, and local polarization should exhibit distinct behavior arising from the tricritical scaling laws, as well as logarithmic corrections to scaling reflecting the marginal nature of interactions.
We study the evolution from the weak coupling (BCS-like limit) to the strong coupling limit of tightly bound local pairs (LP's) with increasing attraction, in the presence of the Zeeman magnetic field ($h$) for $d=2$, within the spin-polarized attractive Hubbard model. The broken symmetry Hartree approximation {as well as the} strong coupling expansion are used. We also apply the Kosterlitz-Thouless (KT) scenario to determine the phase coherence temperatures. For spin independent hopping integrals ($t^{\uparrow}=t^{\downarrow}$), we find no stable homogeneous polarized superfluid (SC$_M$) stat…
We study resonantly-paired s-wave superfluidity in a degenerate gas of two species (hyperfine states labeled by $\uparrow,\downarrow$) of fermionic atoms when the numbers $N_{\uparrow}$ and $N_{\downarrow}$ of the two species are {\it unequal}, i.e., the system is "polarized". We find that the continuous crossover from the Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) limit of tightly-bound diatomic molecules to the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) limit of weakly correlated Cooper pairs, studied extensively at equal populations, is interrupted by a variety of distinct phenomena under an imposed population di…
The interior of a neutron star is expected to be occupied by a neutron $^3P_2$ superfluid, which is the condensate of spin-triplet $p$-wave Cooper pairs of neutrons with total angular momentum $J=2$. Here we investigate the thermodynamic stability of $^3P_2$ superfluids in a neutron-star interior under a strong magnetic field. Using the theory incorporating the finite size correction of neutron Fermi surface, we show that the spin-polarized phases of $^3P_2$ superfluids, the magnetized biaxial nematic phase and the ferromagnetic phase, appear in high temperatures and high magnetic fields. Thes…
Motivated by recent experiments in trapped Fermi gas with spin population imbalance, we discuss the effects of the quantum and thermal fluctuations of the interface between a fully paired superfluid core and a fully polarized Fermi gas. We demonstrate that even if there is no true partially polarized thermodynamic phase in bulk, the interface fluctuation can give rise to a partially polarized transition regime in trap. Our theory yields a definite prediction for the functional forms of the spatial profile of spin polarization and pairing gap, and we show that the spin-resolved density profiles…
Based on the integrable Gaudin model and local density approximation, we discuss the phase structure of one-dimensional trapped Fermi gases with imbalanced spin populations for arbitrary attractive interactions. A phase separation state, with a polarized superfluid core immersed in an unpolarized superfluid shell, emerges below a critical spin polarization. Above it, a coexistence of polarized superfluid matter and a fully polarized normal gas is favored. These two exotic states could be realized experimentally in highly elongated atomic traps, and diagnosed by measuring the lowest density com…
To find out a primary determing factor of $T_{c}$ and a pairing mechanism in high-$T_{c}$ cuprates, we combine the muon spin relaxation results on $n_{s}/m^{*}$ (superconducting carrier density / effective mass), accumulated over the last 15 years, with the results from neutron and Raman scattering, STM, specific heat, Nernst effect and ARPES measurements. We identify the neutron magnetic resonance mode as an analogue of roton minimum in the superfluid $^{4}$He, and argue that $n_{s}/m^{*}$ and the resonance mode energy $\hbarω_{res}$ play a primary role in determining $T_{c}$ in the underdope…
We calculate the zero temperature phase diagram of a polarized two-component Fermi gas in an array of weakly-coupled parallel one-dimensional (1D) 'tubes' produced by a two-dimensional optical lattice. Increasing the lattice strength drives a crossover from three-dimensional (3D) to 1D behavior, stabilizing the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) modulated superfluid phase. We argue that the most promising regime for observing the FFLO phase is in the quasi-1D regime, where the atomic motion is largely 1D but there is weak tunneling in the other directions that stabilizes long range order.…
We argue that, for the recent experiments with imbalanced fermion gases, a temperature difference may occur between the normal (N) and the gapped superfluid (SF) phase. Using the mean-field formalism, we study particle scattering off the N-SF interface from the deep BCS to the unitary regime. We show that the thermal conductivity across the interface drops exponentially fast with increasing $h/k_B T$, where $h$ is the chemical potential imbalance. This implies a blocking of thermal equilibration between the N and the SF phase. We also provide a possible mechanism for the creation of gap oscill…
We study the role of particle transport and evaporation on the phase separation of an ultracold, spin-polarized atomic Fermi gas. We show that the previously observed deformation of the superfluid paired core is a result of evaporative depolarization of the superfluid due to a combination of enhanced evaporation at the center of the trap and the inhibition of spin transport at the normal-superfluid phase boundary. These factors contribute to a nonequilibrium jump in the chemical potentials at the phase boundary. Once formed, the deformed state is highly metastable, persisting for times of up t…
We study the effect of the induced interaction on the superfluidtransition temperature of a spin-polarized Fermi gas. In the BCS limit, the polarization is very small in the superfluid state, and the effect of the induced interaction is almost the same as in the spin-balanced case. The temperature Tt and the polarization Pt of the tricritical point are both reduced from mean-field results by a factor about 2.22. This reduction is also significant beyond the BCS limit. In the unitary limit, we find (Pt,Tt/TF)=(0.42,0.16), in comparison with mean-field and experimental results.
Recent experiments on imbalanced fermion gases have proved the existence of a sharp interface between a superfluid and a normal phase. We show that, at the lowest experimental temperatures, a temperature difference between N and SF phase can appear as a consequence of the blocking of energy transfer across the interface. Such blocking is a consequence of the existence of a SF gap, which causes low-energy normal particles to be reflected from the N-SF interface. Our quantitative analysis is based on the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov-de Gennes formalism, which allows us to give analytical expressions …
The superfluid phase diagrams of a two-dimensional cold polarized Fermi gas in the BCS-BEC crossover are systematically and analytically investigated. In the BCS-Leggett mean field theory, the transition from unpolarized superfluid phase to normal phase is always of first order. For a homogeneous system, the two critical Zeeman fields and the critical population imbalance are analytically determined in the whole coupling parameter region, and the superfluid-normal mixed phase is shown to be the ground state between the two critical fields. The density profile in the presence of a harmonic trap…
Recent groundbreaking experiments studying the effects of spin polarization on pairing in unitary Fermi gases encountered mutual qualitative and quantitative discrepancies which seem to be a function of the confining geometry. Using novel numerical algorithms we study the solution space for a 3-dimensional fully self-consistent formulation of realistic systems with up to $10^{5}$ atoms. A study of the three types of solutions obtained demonstrates a tendency towards metastability as the confining geometry is elongated. One of these solutions, which is consistent with Rice experiments at high t…
We derive the underlying finite temperature theory which describes Fermi gas superfluidity with population imbalance in a homogeneous system. We compute the pair formation temperature and superfluid transition temperature $T_c$ and superfluid density in a manner consistent with the standard ground state equations, and thereby present a complete phase diagram. Finite temperature stabilizes superfluidity, as manifested by two solutions for $T_c$, or by low $T$ instabilities. At unitarity the polarized state is an ``intermediate temperature superfluid".
We study equal mass population imbalanced two-component atomic Fermi gas with unequal trap frequencies $(ω_{\uparrow} \neq ω_{\downarrow})$ at zero temperature using the local density approximation (LDA). We consider the strongly attracting Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) limit where polarized (gapless) superfluid is stable. The system exhibits shell structure: unpolarized SF$\to$polarized SF$\to$normal N. Compared to trap symmetric case, when the majority component is tightly confined the gapless superfluid shell grows in size leading to reduced threshold polarization to form polarized (gapl…
We argue that it is not possible to infer from the results of Partridge et al. (Reports, 27 January 2006, p. 503) which of their data was taken in the superfluid or normal regime, and which of their clouds are phase-separated and which are not. Some of the conclusions in this paper are inconsistent with recent experiments.
We discuss the mechanisms of unconventional superconductivity and superfluidity in 3D and 2D fermionic systems with purely repulsive interaction at low densities. We construct phase diagrams of these systems and find the areas of the superconducting state in free space, as well as on the lattice in the framework of the Fermi-gas model with hard-core repulsion, the Hubbard model, the Shubin-Vonsovsky model, and the $t-J$ model. We demonstrate that the critical superconducting temperature can be greatly increased in the spin-polarized case or in a two-band situation already at low densities. The…
The evolution of an attractive polarized two-component Fermi gas at zero temperature is analyzed as its polarization is progressively decreased, from full polarization (corresponding to the polaronic limit) down to a critical polarization when superfluidity sets in. This critical polarization and the nature of the associated superfluid instability are determined within a fully self-consistent $t$-matrix approach implemented exactly at zero temperature. In this way, the polarization-vs-coupling phase diagram at zero temperature is constructed throughout the whole BCS-BEC crossover. Depending on…
We report on a study of the superfluid state of spin-polarized atomic Li6 confined in a magnetic trap. Density profiles of this degenerate Fermi gas, and the spatial distribution of the BCS order parameter are calculated in the local density approximation. The critical temperature is determined as a function of the number of particles in the trap. Furthermore we consider the mechanical stability of an interacting two-component Fermi gas, both in the case of attractive and repulsive interatomic interactions. For spin-polarized Li6 we also calculate the decay rate of the gas, and show that withi…
The superfluid properties of the attractive Hubbard model in a Zeeman magnetic field, and in the weak coupling regime have been investigated. The temperature and magnetic field dependencies of the order parameter have been analyzed. Furthermore, the temperature vs. magnetic field and temperature vs. spin polarization phase diagrams for the 2D and 3D lattices have been obtained. For some parameters a reentrant transition has been found.
We investigate a two-component atomic Fermi gas with population imbalance in the presence of Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling (SOC). As a competition between SOC and population imbalance, the finite-temperature phase diagram reveals a large varieties of new features, including the expanding of the superfluid state regime and the shrinking of both the phase separation and the normal regimes. For sufficiently strong SOC, the phase separation region disappears, giving way to the superfluid state. We find that the tricritical point moves toward regime of low temperature, high magnetic field, and hi…
The B-phase of superfluid $^3$He is a 3D time-reversal invariant (TRI) topological superfluid with an isotropic energy gap separating the ground-state and bulk continuum states. We report calculations of surface spectrum, spin- and mass current densities originating from the Andreev surface states for confined $^3$He-B. The surface states are Majorana Fermions with their spins polarized transverse to their direction of propagation along the surface. The negative energy states give rise to a ground-state helical spin current confined on the surface. The spectral functions reveal the subtle role…
The relativistic analogue of the Hall-Vinen-Bekarevich-Khalatnikov (HVBK) hydrodynamics is derived making use of the phenomenological method similar to that used by Bekarevich and Khalatnikov [1] in their derivation of HVBK-hydrodynamics. The resulting equations describe a finite-temperature superfluid liquid with the distributed vorticity. The main dissipative effects, including mutual friction, are taken into account. The proposed hydrodynamics is needed for reliable modeling of the dynamical properties of superfluid neutron stars.
We consider a system of repulsively interacting Bose-Fermi mixtures of spin polarized uniform atomic gases at zero temperature. We examine possible realization of p-wave superfluidity of fermions due to an effective attractive interaction via density fluctuations of Bose-Einstein condensate within mean-field approximation. We find the ground state of the system by direct energy comparison of p-wave superfluid and phase-separated states, and suggest an occurrence of the p-wave superfluid for a strong boson-fermion interaction regime. We study some signatures in the p-wave superfluid phase, such…
Recently, a homogeneous superfluid state with a single gapless Fermi surface was predicted to be the ground state of an ultracold Fermi gas with spin population imbalance in the regime of molecular Bose-Einstein condensation. We study vortices in this novel state using a symmetry-based effective field theory, which captures the low-energy physics of gapless fermions and superfluid phase fluctuations. This theory is applicable to all spin-imbalanced ultracold Fermi gases in the superfluid regime, regardless of whether the original fermion pairing interaction is weak or strong. We find a remarka…
The imbalanced superfluid state of spin-1/2 fermions with s-wave pairing is numerically studied by solving the Bogoliubov-de-Gennes equation at zero temperature in an annular disk geometry with narrow radial width. Two distinct types of systems are considered. The first case may be relevant to heavy fermion superconductors, where magnetic field causes spin imbalance via Zeeman interaction and the system is studied in a grand canonical ensemble. As the magnetic field increases, the system is transformed from the uniform superfluid state to the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state, and finally…
The influence of the Zeeman magnetic field ($h$) on the ground state evolution of superfluid properties from the weak coupling (BCS like) to the strong coupling limit of tightly bound local pairs (LP) with increasing attraction has been studied. The analysis was carried out within the spin-polarized attractive Hubbard model, for a fixed number of particles and a $d=3$ simple cubic lattice. The broken symmetry Hartree approximation was used. For strong attraction and in the dilute limit, the homogeneous magnetized superconducting phase (SC$_M$) was found in the $(h-|U|)$ and ($P-|U|$) diagrams.
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 β= 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.
At a very rapid superfluid transition in $^3$He, follows after a reaction with single neutron, the creation of topological defects (vortices) has recently been demonstrated in accordance with the Kibble-Zurek scenario for the cosmological analogue. We discuss here the extension of the Kibble-Zurek scenario to the case when alternative symmetries may be broken and different states nucleated independently. We have calculated the nucleation probability of the various states of superfluid $^3$He during a superfluid transition. Our results can explain the transition from supercooled $A$ phase to th…
We systematically investigate the topological properties of spin polarized Rydberg-dressed fermionic atoms loaded in a bilayer optical lattice. Through tuning the Rydberg coupling strength and the inter-layer tunneling amplitude, we identify different types of topological superfluid states generated from the inter-layer pairing and relative gauge phase modulation of the couples 2D $p$-wave superfluids. These phases includes gapped/gapless with/without time reversal symmetry. One of the most interesting states is a gapless paired topological superfluid with both the time-reversal symmetry and p…
A new excitation mode has been predicted to exist in the unitary Fermi gas. It has a form of a spin-polarized impurity, which was dubbed as ferron. It is characterized by a closed nodal surface of the pairing field surrounding a partially spin-polarized superfluid region, where the phase differs by $π$. In this paper, we discuss the effect of temperature on the generation of the ferron and the adiabaticity of the spin-polarizing potential together with ferron's ground state properties.
We study the spin-polarized $ν=0$ Landau-level state of graphene. Due to the electron-hole attractive interaction, electrons and holes can bound into pairs. These pairs can then condense into a spin-triplet superfluid ground state: a spin superconductor state. In this state, a gap opens up in the edge bands as well as in the bulk bands, thus it is a charge insulator, but it can carry the spin current without dissipation. These results can well explain the insulating behavior of the spin-polarized $ν=0$ state in the recent experiments.
We map out the detuning-magnetization phase diagram for a ``magnetized'' (unequal number of atoms in two pairing hyperfine states) gas of fermionic atoms interacting via an s-wave Feshbach resonance (FR). For large positive FR detuning a normal magnetized Fermi gas is stable above an exponentially small value of the population difference. Below this critical value the phase diagram is dominated by coexistence of a magnetized normal gas and a singlet paired superfluid with the latter exhibiting a BCS-Bose Einstein condensate crossover with reduced detuning. On the BCS side of strongly overlappi…
We study the BCS superfluid transition in a single-component fermionic gas of dipolar particles loaded in a tight bilayer trap, with the electric dipole moments polarized perpendicular to the layers. Based on the detailed analysis of the interlayer scattering, we calculate the critical temperature of the interlayer superfluid pairing transition when the layer separation is both smaller (dilute regime) and of the order or larger (dense regime) than the mean interparticle separation in each layer. Our calculations go beyond the standard BCS approach and include the many-body contributions result…
