Open AccessMetal and insulator states of SU(6) × SU(2) clusters of fermions in one-dimensional optical lattices
Author(s) -
M. C. Gordillo
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
new journal of physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.584
H-Index - 190
ISSN - 1367-2630
DOI - 10.1088/1367-2630/ac0387
Subject(s) - physics , fermion , spins , optical lattice , cluster (spacecraft) , diffusion monte carlo , scattering , lattice (music) , condensed matter physics , quantum monte carlo , quantum mechanics , monte carlo method , atomic physics , hybrid monte carlo , superfluidity , statistics , mathematics , markov chain monte carlo , computer science , acoustics , programming language
We studied the behavior of mixtures of 173 Yb (with symmetry up to SU(6)) and 171 Yb (up to SU(2)) fermionic isotopes loaded in one-dimensional (1D) optical lattices. To do so, we solved the Schrödinger equation describing different systems using a diffusion Monte Carlo technique. We considered continuous Hamiltonians in which the interactions between atoms of different species (isotopes and/or spins) were modeled by contact potentials with parameters derived from their experimental scattering lengths. This implies that we can find both attractive and repulsive interactions between fermion pairs in the same cluster. The strength of those interactions can be changed by varying the transverse confinement, leading to different cluster behaviors. Only balanced clusters, i.e. with the same number of 173 Yb and 171 Yb atoms were considered. We found that the standard state for these clusters is a metallic-like one with different populations of 173 Yb– 171 Yb molecule-like pairs in each optical lattice potential well. However, for big enough clusters, insulator-like states are also possible.