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Spin-Orbit Coupled Degenerate Fermi Gases

Pengjun Wang, Zeng-Qiang Yu, Zhengkun Fu, Jiao Miao, Lianghui Huang, Shijie Chai, Hui Zhai, and Jing Zhang
Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 095301 – Published 27 August 2012
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Abstract

In this Letter, we report the first experimental realization and investigation of a spin-orbit coupled Fermi gas. Both spin dephasing in spin dynamics and momentum distribution asymmetry of the equilibrium state are observed as hallmarks of spin-orbit coupling in a Fermi gas. The single particle dispersion is mapped out by using momentum-resolved radio-frequency spectroscopy. From momentum distribution and momentum-resolved radio-frequency spectroscopy, we observe the change of fermion population in different helicity branches consistent with a finite temperature calculation, which indicates that a Lifshitz transition of the Fermi surface topology change can be found by further cooling the system.

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  • Received 30 May 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.095301

© 2012 American Physical Society

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Spin-Orbit Coupling Comes in From the Cold

Published 27 August 2012

Experimentalists simulate the effects of spin-orbit coupling in ultracold Fermi gases, paving the way for the creation of new exotic phases of matter.

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Authors & Affiliations

Pengjun Wang1, Zeng-Qiang Yu2, Zhengkun Fu1, Jiao Miao2, Lianghui Huang1, Shijie Chai1, Hui Zhai2,*, and Jing Zhang1,†

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Opto-Electronics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, People’s Republic of China
  • 2Institute for Advanced Study, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, People’s Republic of China

  • *hzhai@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
  • jzhang74@sxu.edu.cn; jzhang74@yahoo.com

See Also

Spin-Injection Spectroscopy of a Spin-Orbit Coupled Fermi Gas

Lawrence W. Cheuk, Ariel T. Sommer, Zoran Hadzibabic, Tarik Yefsah, Waseem S. Bakr, and Martin W. Zwierlein
Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 095302 (2012)

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Vol. 109, Iss. 9 — 31 August 2012

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