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We theoretically investigate quantum conductance across a point contact between two strongly-interacting ultracold Fermi gases. We evaluate the tunneling current, taking into account pairing fluctuations in the Fermi gases within the framework of a combined strong-coupling T-matrix approximation with the Schwinger-Keldysh non-equilibrium formalism. We show that quasi-particle conductance is gradually suppressed, as one passes through the BCS–BEC crossover region from the weak-coupling side. On the other hand, with increasing the strength of a pairing interaction, the fluctuation-pair conductance is found to remarkably increase in the crossover region, which is followed by the suppression in the strong-coupling regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate thermodynamic properties and effects of quantum fluctuations in the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS)-Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) crossover region of a superfluid Fermi gas in the low-temperature limit. Including strong-coupling corrections within the framework of an extended T-matrix approximation, we numerically compute the isothermal compressibility $$\chi _n$$ . While quantum fluctuation effects on $$\chi _n$$ in the strong-coupling BEC regime are explained by the quantum depletion due to a repulsive interaction between tightly bound molecules, effects of self-energy shift on the Fermi chemical potential are found to enhance $$\chi _n$$ in the weak-coupling BCS region. We also show that the calculated $$\chi _n$$ agrees well with the recent experiment on a $$^6$$ Li Fermi gas done from the weak-coupling region to the unitarity limit. Our result would be useful for the study of many-body quantum corrections in the BCS-BEC crossover region of a strongly interacting Fermi superfluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We theoretically investigate the shear viscosity $$\eta $$ , as well as the entropy density s, in the normal state of an ultracold Fermi gas. Including pairing fluctuations within the framework of a T-matrix approximation, we calculate these quantities in the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS)-Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) crossover region. We also evaluate $$\eta / s$$ , to compare it with the lower bound of this ratio, conjectured by Kovtun, Son, and Starinets (KSS bound). In the weak-coupling BCS side, we show that the shear viscosity $$\eta $$ is remarkably suppressed near the superfluid phase transition temperature $$T_{\mathrm{c}}$$ , due to the so-called pseudogap phenomenon. In the strong-coupling BEC side, we find that, within the neglect of the vertex corrections, one cannot correctly describe $$\eta $$ . We also show that $$\eta / s$$ decreases with increasing the interaction strength, to become very close to the KSS bound, $$\hbar /4\pi k_{\mathrm{B}}$$ , on the BEC side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the superfluid phase transition in the BCS (Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer)-BEC (Bose-Einstein condensation) crossover regime of an ultracold Fermi gas with mass imbalance. In the presence of mass imbalance, it is known that the strong-coupling Gaussian fluctuation theory, as well as the ordinary non-self-consistent T-matrix theory, that have been extensively used to clarify various BCS-BEC crossover physics in the mass-balanced case, unphysically give double valued superfluid phase transition temperature T in the crossover region. In our previous paper (R. Hanai et al., J. Low Temp. Phys. 171:389, ), this difficulty was shown to be eliminated by an extended T-matrix approximation (ETMA). However, it was also found that this improved theory still gives vanishing T in the BCS regime, when the mass imbalance ratio remarkably deviates from unity. In this paper, further extending ETMA to include higher order pairing fluctuations to the fully self-consistent T-matrix level, we clarify whether the vanishing T obtained in ETMA is an intrinsic phenomenon or an artifact of this approximation. We show that the self-consistent T-matrix theory always gives a finite T, even in the region where ETMA predicts the absence of superfluid instability. The key to the recovery of T is found to be a consistent treatment with respect to the Fermi surface sizes of the light mass and heavy mass components, which ETMA lacks in. Since Fermi condensates with mass imbalance have been recently discussed in various systems, such as a K-Li Fermi gas, exciton-polariton condensate, as well as color superconductivity, our results would be useful in constructing a reliable strong-coupling theory to examine physical properties of these novel Fermi superfluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the superfluid phase transition and effects of mass imbalance in the BCS (Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer)-BEC (Bose-Einstein condensation) crossover regime of an cold Fermi gas. We point out that the Gaussian fluctuation theory developed by Nozières and Schmitt-Rink and the T-matrix theory, that are now widely used to study strong-coupling physics of cold Fermi gases, give unphysical results in the presence of mass imbalance. To overcome this problem, we extend the T-matrix theory to include higher-order pairing fluctuations. Using this, we examine how the mass imbalance affects the superfluid phase transition. Since the mass imbalance is an important key in various Fermi superfluids, such as K-Li Fermi gas mixture, exciton condensate, and color superconductivity in a dense quark matter, our results would be useful for the study of these recently developing superfluid systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate pseudogap phenomena originating from pairing fluctuations in the BCS-BEC crossover regime of a two-dimensional Fermi gas in a harmonic trap. Including pairing fluctuations within a T-matrix theory and effects of a trap within the local density approximation, we calculate the local density of states (LDOS) at the superfluid phase transition temperature T. In the weak-coupling regime, we show that the pseudogap already appears in LDOS around the trap center. The spatial region where the pseudogap can be seen in LDOS becomes wider for a strong pairing interaction. We also discuss how the pseudogap affects the spectrum of the photoemission-type experiment developed by JILA group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]