Non-equilibrium dynamics of a quenched Fermi gas

The ability to tune the interactions in ultracold gases of fermionic atoms provides a versatile test bed for studying quantum many-body phenomena; unlocking new ways to study condensed matter physics in an environment free of defects. We present measurements of the dynamics of a strongly interacting Fermi gas after a quantum quench of the inter-atomic interactions. In a first study, we measure the time dependent formation dynamics of a pair-condensate after a quench from a weakly attractive Fermi gas to the unitary limit, which involves crossing the normal to superfluid transition. We also find that the short-range correlations are developed far more rapidly than the long-range correlations needed to form a Bose-Einstein condensate. Finally, we present initial measurements showing oscillations in the amplitude of the superfluid order parameter in a trapped Fermi gas induced by quenching the s-wave scattering length in the superfluid phase.

About the presenter

Dr Ivan Herrera is a Research Fellow at Swinburne University of Technology who performs experimental research to investigate universal phenomena at the few-body and many-body level in ultracold 2D gases of fermionic atoms. Ivan works within Research Theme 3: Light-transformed materials with CI Chris Vale.