Unitary Fermi supersolid: the Larkin-Ovchinnikov phase.
We present strong theoretical evidence that a Larkin-Ovchinnikov (LOFF/FFLO) pairing phase is favored over the homogeneous superfluid and normal phases in three-dimensional unitary Fermi systems. Using a density functional theory (DFT) based on the latest quantum Monte Carlo calculations and experimental results, we show that this phase is competitive over a large region of the phase diagram. The oscillations in the number densities and pairing field have a substantial amplitude, and a period some 3 to 10 times the average interparticle separation. Within the DFT, the transition to a normal polarized Fermi liquid at large polarizations is smooth, while the transition to a fully paired superfluid is abrupt.
Bulgac
Aurel
A
Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1560, USA.
Forbes
Michael McNeil
MM