Spin Excitations in a Fermi Gas of Atoms

B. DeMarco; D. S. Jin

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.040405

Spin Excitations in a Fermi Gas of Atoms

B. DeMarco and D. S. Jin

Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 040405 – Published 11 January 2002

Abstract

We have experimentally investigated a spin excitation in a quantum degenerate Fermi gas of atoms. In the hydrodynamic regime the damping time of the collective excitation is used to probe the quantum behavior of the gas. At temperatures below the Fermi temperature we measure up to a factor of 2 reduction in the excitation damping time compared to the classical expectation. In addition, we observe a strong excitation energy dependence for this quantum statistical effect.

Received 30 August 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.040405

Authors & Affiliations

B. DeMarco^* and D. S. Jin^†

JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309

^*Present address: Time and Frequency Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
^†Qunatum Physics Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology.