No Arabic abstract
The local density approximation is used to study the ground state superfluid properties of harmonically trapped p-wave Fermi gases as a function of fermion-fermion attraction strength. While the density distribution is bimodal on the weakly attracting BCS side, it becomes unimodal with increasing attraction and saturates towards the BEC side. This non-monotonic evolution is related to the topological gapless to gapped phase transition, and may be observed via radio-frequency spectroscopy since quasi-particle transfer current requires a finite threshold only on the BEC side.
It is found theoretically based on the Ginzburg-Landau framework that p-wave superfluids of neutral atom gases in three dimension harmonic traps exhibit spontaneous mass current at rest, whose direction depends on trap geometry. Under rotation various types of the order parameter textures are stabilized, including Mermin-Ho and Anderson-Toulouse-Chechetkin vortices. In a cigar shape trap spontaneous current flows longitudial to the rotation axis and thus perpendicular to the ordinary rotational current. These features, spontaneous mass current at rest and texture formation, can be used as diagnoses for p-wave superfluidity.
We propose a $mathbb{U}(1) times mathbb{Z}_2$ effective gauge theory for vortices in a $p_x+ip_y$ superfluid in two dimensions. The combined gauge transformation binds $mathbb{U}(1)$ and $mathbb{Z}_2$ defects so that the total transformation remains single-valued and manifestly preserves the the particle-hole symmetry of the action. The $mathbb{Z}_2$ gauge field introduces a complete Chern-Simons term in addition to a partial one associated with the $mathbb{U}(1)$ gauge field. The theory reproduces the known physics of vortex dynamics such as a Magnus force proportional to the superfluid density. More importantly, it predicts a universal Abelian phase, $exp(ipi/8)$, upon the exchange of two vortices. This phase is modified by non-universal corrections due to the partial Chern-Simon term, which are nevertheless screened in a charged superfluid at distances that are larger than the penetration depth.
We present in this work an exact renormalization group (RG) treatment of a one-dimensional $p$-wave superconductor. The model proposed by Kitaev consists of a chain of spinless fermions with a $p$-wave gap. It is a paradigmatic model of great actual interest since it presents a weak pairing superconducting phase that has Majorana fermions at the ends of the chain. Those are predicted to be useful for quantum computation. The RG allows to obtain the phase diagram of the model and to study the quantum phase transition from the weak to the strong pairing phase. It yields the attractors of these phases and the critical exponents of the weak to strong pairing transition. We show that the weak pairing phase of the model is governed by a chaotic attractor being non-trivial from both its topological and RG properties. In the strong pairing phase the RG flow is towards a conventional strong coupling fixed point. Finally, we propose an alternative way for obtaining $p$-wave superconductivity in a one-dimensional system without spin-orbit interaction.
We present a detailed study on the magnetic order in the undoped mother compound LaOFeAs of the recently discovered Fe-based superconductor LaO$_{1-x}$F$_x$FeAs. In particular, we present local probe measurements of the magnetic properties of LaOFeAs by means of $^{57}$Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy and muon spin relaxation in zero external field along with magnetization and resistivity studies. These experiments prove a commensurate static magnetic order with a strongly reduced ordered moment of 0.25(5) $mu_B$ at the iron site below T_N = 138 K, well separated from a structural phase transition at T_N = 156 K. The temperature dependence of the sublattice magnetization is determined and compared to theory. Using a four-band spin density wave model both, the size of the order parameter and the quick saturation below T_N are reproduced.
We develop a self-consistent approach for calculating the local impedance at a rough surface of a chiral $p$-wave superconductor. Using the quasiclassical Eilenberger-Larkin-Ovchinnikov formalism, we numerically find the pair potential, pairing functions, and the surface density of states taking into account diffusive electronic scattering at the surface. The obtained solutions are then employed for studying the local complex conductivity and surface impedance in the broad range of microwave frequencies (ranging from subgap to above-gap values). We identify anomalous features of the surface impedance caused by generation of odd-frequency superconductivity at the surface. The results are compared with experimental data for Sr$_2$RuO$_4$ and provide a microscopic explanation of the phenomenological two-fluid model suggested earlier to explain anomalous features of the microwave response in this material.