arXiv · cond-mat/0101445
Pauli Blocking of Collisions in a Quantum Degenerate Atomic Fermi Gas
Abstract
We have produced an interacting quantum degenerate Fermi gas of atoms composed of two spin-states of magnetically trapped $^{40}$K. The relative Fermi energies are adjusted by controlling the population in each spin-state. Measurements of the thermodynamics reveal the resulting imbalance in the mean energy per particle between the two species, which is as large as a factor of 1.4 at our lowest temperature. This imbalance of energy comes from a suppression of collisions between atoms in the gas due to the Pauli exclusion principle. Through measurements of the thermal relaxation rate we have directly observed this Pauli blocking as a factor of two reduction in the effective collision cross-section in the quantum degenerate regime.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
B. DeMarco, S. B. Papp, D. S. Jin. 2001-02-07. Pauli Blocking of Collisions in a Quantum Degenerate Atomic Fermi Gas. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.86.5409
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.