Coherent and dissipative transport in a Josephson junction between fermionic superfluids of Li-6 atoms
Year: 2018
Authors: Neri E., Scazza F., Roati G.
Autors Affiliation: CNR, INO, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Univ Firenze, LENS, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Univ Firenze, Dipartimento Fis & Astron, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Abstract: Quantum systems out of equilibrium off er the possibility of understanding intriguing and challenging problems in modern physics. Studying transport properties is not only valuable to unveil fundamental properties of quantum matter but it is also an excellent tool for developing new quantum devices which inherently employ quantum-mechanical effects. In this contribution, we present our experimental studies on quantum transport using ultracold Fermi gases of Li-6 atoms. We realize the analogous of a Josephson junction by bisecting fermionic superfluids by a thin optical barrier. We observe coherent dynamics in both the population and in the relative phase between the two reservoirs. For critical parameters, the superfluid dynamics exhibits both coherent and resistive flow due to phase-slippage events manifesting as vortices propagating into the bulk. We uncover also a regime of strong dissipation where the junction operation is irreversibly affected by vortex proliferation. Our studies open new directions for investigating dissipation and superfluid transport in strongly correlated fermionic systems.
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KeyWords: DOUBLE-WELL; FLOW; OSCILLATIONS; HE-4