Competing Orders in One-Dimensional Half-Integer Fermionic Cold Atoms: A Conformal Field Theory Approach
Abstract
The physical properties of arbitrary half-integer spins F = N - 1/2 fermionic cold atoms loaded into a one-dimensional optical lattice are investigated by means of a conformal field theory approach. We show that for attractive interactions two different superfluid phases emerge for F \ge 3/2: A BCS pairing phase, and a molecular superfluid phase which is formed from bound-states made of 2N fermions. In the low-energy approach, the competition between these instabilities and charge-density waves is described in terms of Z_N parafermionic degrees of freedom. The quantum phase transition for F=3/2,5/2 is universal and shown to belong to the Ising and three-state Potts universality classes respectively. For a filling of one atom per site, a Mott transition occurs and the nature of the possible Mott-insulating phases are determined.
Cite
@article{arxiv.0711.4731,
title = {Competing Orders in One-Dimensional Half-Integer Fermionic Cold Atoms: A Conformal Field Theory Approach},
author = {P. Lecheminant and P. Azaria and E. Boulat},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0711.4731},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
35 pages, 3 figures, final version to appear in Nucl. Phys. B