Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/217465

Download PDF (Published version) (Adobe Acrobat PDF, -1 bytes)

Title

Probing Majorana fermions in spin-orbit-coupled atomic Fermi gases

Author(s)

Liu, Xia-Ji;  Jiang, Lei;  Pu, Han;  Hu, Hui

Abstract

We examine theoretically the visualization of Majorana fermions in a two-dimensional trapped ultracold atomic Fermi gas with spin-orbit coupling. By increasing an external Zeeman field, the trapped gas transits from a nontopological to a topological superfluid, via a mixed phase in which both types of superfluids coexist. We show that the zero-energy Majorana fermion, supported by the topological superfluid and localized at the vortex core, may be visible through (i) the core density and (ii) the local density of states, which are readily measurable in experiment. We present a realistic estimate on experimental parameters for ultracold 40K atoms.

Publication type

Journal article

Research centre

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

Source

Physical Review A: Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, Vol. 85, no. 2 (Feb 2012), article no. 021603(R)

Publication year

2012

FOR Code(s)

01 Mathematical Sciences;  02 Physical Sciences;  03 Chemical Sciences

Keyword(s)

Atomic Fermi gases;  Majorana fermions;  Spin-orbit coupling

Publisher

American Physical Society

ISSN

1050-2947

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.85.021603

Copyright

Copyright © 2012 American Physical Society. The published version is reproduced 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

Full text

Peer reviewed