"Spin Transport in Fermi Gases Across the Superfluid Transition"


Ariel Sommer , Lehigh University
[Host: Peter Schauss]
ABSTRACT:

Transport properties provide an important tool to characterize many-body systems. In particular, measurements of spin transport in strongly interacting Fermi gases can help to resolve the debate regarding the existence of a pseudogap--a pairing gap above the superfluid critical temperature--in the unitary Fermi gas. Studies of universal bounds on transport coefficients further motivate interest in spin transport in the unitary Fermi gas, which is expected to exhibit timescales approaching the "Planckian" limit set by the temperature, Boltzmann constant, and Planck's constant. I will describe proposed experiments to measure the spin transport coefficients in Fermi gases at low temperatures that can address these questions. Our experimental approach utilizes a homogeneous Fermi gas separated into three regions: a sample and two reservoirs. Non-equilibrium initial conditions in the reservoirs will drive a spin current through the sample, enabling measurements of the spin diffusivity. Our experimental approach can be extended to measurements of heat transport and non-equilibrium states. 

Atomic Physics Seminar
Monday, March 4, 2019
3:30 PM
Physics Building, Room 204
Note special room.

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