Published July 3, 2009 | Version v1
Journal article

Controlling Spin Current in a Trapped Fermi Gas

  • 1. Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708 (United States)

Description

We study fundamental features of spin current in a very weakly interacting Fermi gas of 6Li. By creating a spin current and then reversing its flow, we demonstrate control of the spin current. This reversal is predicted by a spin vector evolution equation in energy representation, which shows how the spin and energy of individual atoms become correlated in the nearly undamped regime of the experiments. The theory provides a simple physical description of the spin current and explains both the large amplitude and the slow temporal evolution of the data. Our results have applications in studying and controlling fundamental spin interactions and spin currents in ultracold gases.

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Physical Review Letters
Journal Volume
103
Journal Issue
1
Journal Page Range
p. 010401-010401.4
ISSN
0031-9007
CODEN
PRLTAO

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
41078205
Subject category
S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS;
Descriptors DEI
EQUATIONS; FERMI GAS; GASES; LITHIUM 6; SPIN; TRAPPING
Descriptors DEC
ANGULAR MOMENTUM; FLUIDS; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; LITHIUM ISOTOPES; NUCLEI; ODD-ODD NUCLEI; PARTICLE PROPERTIES; STABLE ISOTOPES

Optional Information

Notes
(c) 2009 The American Physical Society