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A mixture of Bose and Fermi superf luids

  • I. Ferrier-Barbut
  • , M. Delehaye
  • , S. Laurent
  • , A. T. Grier
  • , M. Pierce
  • , B. S. Rem
  • , F. Chevy
  • , C. Salomon
  • PSL research University & IPSL
  • ICS/University of Groningen
  • Universität Hamburg

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

254 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Superconductivity and superfluidity of fermionic and bosonic systems are remarkable many-body quantum phenomena. In liquid helium and dilute gases, Bose and Fermi superfluidity has been observed separately, but producing a mixture inwhich both the fermionic and the bosonic components are superfluid is challenging. Here we report on the observation of such a mixture with dilute gases of two lithium isotopes, lithium-6 and lithium-7.We probe the collective dynamics of this system by exciting center-of-mass oscillations that exhibit extremely low damping below a certain critical velocity. Using high-precision spectroscopy of these modes, we observe coherent energy exchange and measure the coupling between the two superfluids. Our observations can be captured theoretically using a sum-rule approach that we interpret in terms of two coupled oscillators.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1035-1038
Number of pages4
JournalScience
Volume345
Issue number6200
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 6 May 2014

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