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Title

Josephson effect in an atomic Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov superfluid

Author(s)

Hu, Hui;  Liu, Xia-Ji

Abstract

We study theoretically two spatially separate quasi-one-dimensional atomic Fermi gases in a double-well trap. By tuning independently their spin polarizations, a Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) superfluid or a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) superfluid may be formed in each well. We seek the possibility of creating a spatially tunable atomic Josephson junction between two superfluids, which is supposed to be realizable via building a weak link at given positions of the double-well barrier. We show that within mean-field theory the maximum Josephson current is proportional to the order parameter in two wells. Thus, the spatial inhomogeneity of the FFLO order parameter in one well may be directly revealed through the current measurement with the position-tunable link. We anticipate that this type of Josephson measurement can provide useful evidence for the existence of exotic FFLO superfluids. Possible experimental realizations of the Josephson measurements in atomic Fermi gases are discussed.

Publication type

Journal article

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences. Centre for Atom Optics and Ultrafast Spectroscopy. Centre of Excellence for Quantum-Atom Optics

Source

Physical Review A: Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, Vol. 83, no. 1 (Jan 2011), article no. 013631

Publication year

2011

FOR Code(s)

0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics;  0204 Condensed Matter Physics;  0205 Optical Physics

Keyword(s)

Atomic Fermi gases;  Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer superfluid;  FFLO;  Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov superfluid;  Josephson effect;  Superfluids

Publisher

American Physical Society

ISSN

1050-2947

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.83.013631

Copyright

Copyright © 2011 American Physical Society. Published version of the paper reproduced here with the kind permission of the publisher.

Research Projects

Ultracold atomic Fermi gases in the strongly interacting regime: a new frontier of quantum many-body physics, Australian Research Council grant number DP0984522
Imbalanced superfluidity: the quantum mystery that defies solution, Australian Research Project grant number DP0984637

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