Anisotropic dynamic excitations in a two-dimensional Fulde-Ferrell superfluid

Abstract

By calculating the dynamical structure factor of a two-dimensional (2D) Fulde-Ferrell superfluid system, the anisotropic dynamical excitations are studied systematically using random phase approximation (RPA). Our calculation results not only establish the interaction strength and the Zeeman field dependencies of the phase diagram, but also reveal the evolution of the collective modes and the single-particle excitations during the phase transition from the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) superfluid to the FF superfluid, particularly their competition with each other. The calculation results demonstrate that the optimal combination of two parameters (the interaction strength and Zeeman field) exists for finding an FF superfluid. With the increase of the angle between the transferred momentum and the center-of-mass (COM) momentum, the collective phonon mode exhibits a sharp resonance signature at small angles, which gradually diminishes as it merges into the single-particle excitations, then reappears at large angles. In an FF superfluid, the sound speed along the COM momentum direction increases with the Zeeman field strength while decreases with the interaction strength, displaying contrasting behavior compared to a BCS superfluid whereas the sound speed remains nearly constant. Notably, a remarkable roton-like dispersion emerges along the COM momentum direction while it is absent in the opposite direction. These theoretical predictions provide crucial guidance for the experimental search and study of an FF superfluid.