arXiv subjects

W. Zwerger

Publications and source records attributed to W. Zwerger.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2019

Strongly correlated superfluid order parameters from dc Josephson supercurrents

The dc Josephson effect provides a powerful phase-sensitive tool for investigating superfluid order parameters. We report on the observation of dc Josephson supercurrents in strongly interacting fermionic superfluids across a tunnelling barrier in the absence of any applied potential difference. For sufficiently strong barriers, we observe a sinusoidal current-phase relation, in agreement with Josephson's seminal prediction. We map out the zero-resistance state and its breakdown as a function of junction parameters, extracting the Josephson critical current behaviour. By comparing our results with an analytic model, we determine the pair condensate fraction throughout the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer - Bose-Einstein Condensation crossover. Our work suggests that coherent Josephson transport may be used to pin down superfluid order parameters in diverse atomic systems, even in the presence of strong correlations.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2017

Scanning gate experiments: from strongly to weakly invasive probes

An open resonator fabricated in a two-dimensional electron gas is used to explore the transition from strongly invasive scanning gate microscopy to the perturbative regime of weak tip-induced potentials. With the help of numerical simulations that faithfully reproduce the main experimental findings, we quantify the extent of the perturbative regime in which the tip-induced conductance change is unambiguously determined by properties of the unperturbed system. The correspondence between the experimental and numerical results is established by analyzing the characteristic length scale and the amplitude modulation of the conductance change. In the perturbative regime, the former is shown to assume a disorder-dependent maximum value, while the latter linearly increases with the strength of a weak tip potential.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Strongly Interacting Fermi Gases

The experimental realization of stable, ultracold Fermi gases near a Feshbach resonance allows to study gases with attractive interactions of essentially arbitrary strength. They extend the classic paradigm of BCS into a regime which has never been accessible before. We review the theoretical concepts which have been developed in this context, including the Tan relations and the notion of fixed points at zero density, which are at the origin of universality. We discuss in detail the universal thermodynamics of the unitary Fermi gas which allows a fit free comparison between theory and experiment for this strongly interacting system. In addition, we adress the consequences of scale invariance at infinite scattering length and the subtle violation of scale invariance in two dimensions. Finally we discuss the Fermionic excitation spectrum accessible in momentum resolved RF-spectroscopy and the origin of universal lower bounds for the shear viscosity and the spin diffusion constant.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2015

Higgs Mode and Magnon Interactions in 2D Quantum Antiferromagnets from Raman Scattering

We present a theory for Raman scattering on 2D quantum antiferromagnets. The microscopic Fleury-Loudon Hamiltonian is expressed in terms of an effective $O(3)$ - model. Well within the Néel ordered phase, the Raman spectrum contains a two-magnon and a two-Higgs contribution, which are calculated diagramatically. The vertex functions for both the Higgs and magnon contributions are determined from a numerical solution of the corresponding Bethe-Salpeter equation. Due to the momentum dependence of the Raman vertex in the relevant $B_{1g}+E_{2g}$ symmetry, the contribution from the Higgs mode is strongly suppressed. Except for intermediate values of the Higgs mass, it does not show up as separate peak in the spectrum but gives rise to a broad continuum above the dominant contribution from two-magnon excitations. The latter give rise to a broad, asymmetric peak at $ω\simeq 2.44\, J$, which is a result of magnon-magnon interactions mediated by the Higgs mode. The full Raman spectrum is determined completely by the antiferromagnetic exchange coupling $J$ and a dimensionless Higgs mass. Experimental Raman spectra of undoped cuprates turn out to be in very good agreement with the theory only with inclusion of the Higgs contribution. They thus provide a clear signature of the presence of a Higgs mode in spin one-half 2D quantum antiferromagnets.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2012

Exciton-assisted optomechanics with suspended carbon nanotubes

We propose a framework for inducing strong optomechanical effects in a suspended carbon nanotube based on deformation potential exciton-phonon coupling. The excitons are confined using an inhomogeneous axial electric field which generates optically active quantum dots with a level spacing in the milli-electronvolt range and a characteristic size in the 10-nanometer range. A transverse field induces a tunable parametric coupling between the quantum dot and the flexural modes of the nanotube mediated by electron-phonon interactions. We derive the corresponding excitonic deformation potentials and show that this interaction enables efficient optical ground-state cooling of the fundamental mode and could allow us to realise the strong and ultra-strong coupling regimes of the Jaynes-Cummings and Rabi models.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2010

BCS-BEC crossover and the disappearance of FFLO-correlations in a spin-imbalanced, one-dimensional Fermi gas

We present a numerical study of the one-dimensional BCS-BEC crossover of a spin-imbalanced Fermi gas. The crossover is described by the Bose-Fermi resonance model in a real space representation. Our main interest is in the behavior of the pair correlations, which, in the BCS limit, are of the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov type, while in the BEC limit, a superfluid of diatomic molecules forms that exhibits quasi-condensation at zero momentum. We use the density matrix renormalization group method to compute the phase diagram as a function of the detuning of the molecular level and the polarization. As a main result, we show that FFLO-like correlations disappear well below full polarization close to the resonance. The critical polarization depends on both the detuning and the filling.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2009

Spectral Functions and rf Response of Ultracold Fermionic Atoms

We present a calculation of the spectral functions and the associated rf response of ultracold fermionic atoms near a Feshbach resonance. The single particle spectra are peaked at energies that can be modeled by a modified BCS dispersion. However, even at very low temperatures their width is comparable to their energy, except for a small region around the dispersion minimum. The structure of the excitation spectrum of the unitary gas at infinite scattering length agrees with recent momentum-resolved rf spectra near the critical temperature. A detailed comparison is made with momentum integrated, locally resolved rf spectra of the unitary gas at arbitrary temperatures and shows very good agreement between theory and experiment. The pair size defined from the width of these spectra is found to coincide with that obtained from the leading gradient corrections to the effective field theory of the superfluid.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2009

Polaron to molecule transition in a strongly imbalanced Fermi gas

A single down spin Fermion with an attractive, zero range interaction with a Fermi sea of up-spin Fermions forms a polaronic quasiparticle. The associated quasiparticle weight vanishes beyond a critical strength of the attractive interaction, where a many-body bound state is formed. From a variational wavefunction in the molecular limit, we determine the critical value for the polaron to molecule transition. The value agrees well with the diagrammatic Monte Carlo results of Prokof'ev and Svistunov and is consistent with recent rf-spectroscopy measurements of the quasiparticle weight by Schirotzek et. al. In addition, we calculate the contact coefficient of the strongly imbalanced gas, using the adiabatic theorem of Tan and discuss the implications of the polaron to molecule transition for the phase diagram of the attractive Fermi gas at finite imbalance.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2009

Thermodynamics of a trapped unitary Fermi gas

Thermodynamic properties of an ultracold Fermi gas in a harmonic trap are calculated within a local density approximation, using a conserving many-body formalism for the BCS to BEC crossover problem, which has been developed by Haussmann et al. [Phys. Rev. A 75, 023610 (2007)]. We focus on the unitary regime near a Feshbach resonance and determine the local density and entropy profiles and the global entropy S(E) as a function of the total energy E. Our results are in good agreement with both experimental data and previous analytical and numerical results for the thermodynamics of the unitary Fermi gas. The value of the Bertsch parameter at T=0 and the superfluid transition temperature, however, differ appreciably. We show that, well in the superfluid regime, removal of atoms near the cloud edge enables cooling far below temperatures that have been reached so far.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2008

Cavity-Assisted Back Action Cooling of Mechanical Resonators

We analyze the quantum regime of the dynamical backaction cooling of a mechanical resonator assisted by a driven harmonic oscillator (cavity). Our treatment applies to both optomechanical and electromechanical realizations and includes the effect of thermal noise in the driven oscillator. In the perturbative case, we derive the corresponding motional master equation using the Nakajima-Zwanzig formalism and calculate the corresponding output spectrum for the optomechanical case. Then we analyze the strong optomechanical coupling regime in the limit of small cavity linewidth. Finally we consider the steady state covariance matrix of the two coupled oscillators for arbitrary input power and obtain an analytical expression for the final mechanical occupancy. This is used to optimize the drive's detuning and input power for an experimentally relevant range of parameters that includes the "ground state cooling" regime.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2007

Theory of RF-spectroscopy of strongly interacting Fermions

We show that strong pairing correlations in Fermi gases lead to the appearance of a gap-like structure in the RF-spectrum, both in the balanced superfluid and in the normal phase above the Clogston-Chandrasekhar limit. The average RF-shift of a unitary gas is proportional to the ratio of the Fermi velocity and the scattering length with the final state. In the strongly imbalanced case, the RF-spectrum measures the binding energy of a minority atom to the Fermi sea of majority atoms. Our results provide a qualitative understanding of recent experiments by Schunck et.al.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2007

Thermodynamics of the BCS-BEC crossover

We present a self-consistent theory for the thermodynamics of the BCS-BEC crossover in the normal and superfluid phase which is both conserving and gapless. It is based on the variational many-body formalism developed by Luttinger and Ward and by DeDominicis and Martin. Truncating the exact functional for the entropy to that obtained within a ladder approximation, the resulting self-consistent integral equations for the normal and anomalous Green functions are solved numerically for arbitrary coupling. The critical temperature, the equation of state and the entropy are determined as a function of the dimensionless parameter $1/k_Fa$, which controls the crossover from the BCS-regime of extended pairs to the BEC-regime of tightly bound molecules. The tightly bound pairs turn out to be described by a Popov-type approximation for a dilute, repulsive Bose gas. Even though our approximation does not capture the critical behaviour near the continuous superfluid transition, our results provide a consistent picture for the complete crossover thermodynamics which compare well with recent numerical and field-theoretic approaches at the unitarity point.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2007

Theory of ground state cooling of a mechanical oscillator using dynamical back-action

A quantum theory of cooling of a mechanical oscillator by radiation pressure-induced dynamical back-action is developed, which is analogous to sideband cooling of trapped ions. We find that final occupancies well below unity can be attained when the mechanical oscillation frequency is larger than the cavity linewidth. It is shown that the final average occupancy can be retrieved directly from the optical output spectrum.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2006

Collective mode damping and viscosity in a 1D unitary Fermi gas

We calculate the damping of the Bogoliubov-Anderson mode in a one-dimensional two-component attractive Fermi gas for arbitrary coupling strength within a quantum hydrodynamic approach. Using the Bethe-Ansatz solution of the 1D BCS-BEC crossover problem, we derive analytic results for the viscosity covering the full range from a Luther-Emery liquid of weakly bound pairs to a Lieb-Liniger gas of strongly bound bosonic dimers. At the unitarity point, the system is a Tonks-Girardeau gas with a universal constant $α_ζ=0.38$ in the viscosity $ζ=α_ζ\hbar n$ for T=0. For the trapped case, we calculate the Q-factor of the breathing mode and show that the damping provides a sensitive measure of temperature in 1D Fermi gases.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2006

Oscillating Casimir force between impurities in one-dimensional Fermi liquids

We study the interaction of two localized impurities in a repulsive one-dimensional Fermi liquid via bosonization. In a previous paper [Phys. Rev. A 72, 023616 (2005)], it was shown that at distances much larger than the interparticle spacing the impurities interact through a Casimir-type force mediated by the zero sound phonons of the underlying quantum liquid. Here we extend these results and show that the strength and sign of this Casimir interaction depend sensitively on the impurities separation. These oscillations in the Casimir interaction have the same period as Friedel oscillations. Their maxima correspond to tunneling resonances tuned by the impurities separation.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2006

Spin-charge separation in cold Fermi-gases: a real time analysis

Using the adaptive time-dependent density-matrix renormalization group method for the 1D Hubbard model, the splitting of local perturbations into separate wave packets carrying charge and spin is observed in real-time. We show the robustness of this separation beyond the low-energy Luttinger liquid theory by studying the time-evolution of single particle excitations and density wave packets. A striking signature of spin-charge separation is found in 1D cold Fermi gases in a harmonic trap at the boundary between liquid and Mott-insulating phases. We give quantitative estimates for an experimental observation of spin-charge separation in an array of atomic wires.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2004

One-dimensional density waves of ultracold bosons in an optical lattice

We investigate the propagation of density-wave packets in a Bose-Hubbard model using the adaptive time-dependent density-matrix renormalization group method. We discuss the decay of the amplitude with time and the dependence of the velocity on density, interaction strength and the height of the perturbation in a numerically exact way, covering arbitrary interactions and amplitudes of the perturbation. In addition, we investigate the effect of self-steepening due to the amplitude dependence of the velocity and discuss the possibilities for an experimental detection of the moving wave packet in time of flight pictures. By comparing the sound velocity to theoretical predictions, we determine the limits of a Gross-Pitaevskii or Bogoliubov type description and the regime where repulsive one-dimensional Bose gases exhibit fermionic behaviour.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2004

Boson-Fermion Resonance Model in One Dimension

We discuss the BCS-BEC crossover for one-dimensional spin 1/2 fermions at zero temperature using the Boson-Fermion resonance model in one dimension. We show that in the limit of a broad resonance, this model is equivalent to an exactly solvable single channel model, the so-called modified Gaudin-Yang model. We argue that the one-dimensional crossover may be realized either via the combination of a Feshbach resonance and a confinement induced resonance or using direct photo-association in a two-component Fermi gas with effectively one-dimensional dynamics. In both cases, the system may be driven from a BCS-like state through a molecular Tonks-Girardeau gas close to resonance to a weakly interacting Bose gas of dimers.

cond-mat.supr-con↗