Equation of state of a Fermi gas in the BEC-BCS crossover: a quantum Monte Carlo study

Abstract

We calculate the equation of state of a two-component Fermi gas with attractive short-range interspecies interactions using the fixed-node diffusion Monte Carlo method. The interaction strength is varied over a wide range by tuning the value $a$ of the s-wave scattering length of the two-body potential. For $a>0$ and $a$ smaller than the inverse Fermi wavevector our results show a molecular regime with repulsive interactions well described by the dimer-dimer scattering length $a_m=0.6a$. The pair correlation functions of parallel and opposite spins are also discussed as a function of the interaction strength.

4 pages, 3 figures. Version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett.. Figure 3 removed. Expanded discussion of correlation functions. New figure 4. Calculation of pair correlation functions improved: more statistics and extrapolation technique to remove residual dependences on the trial wave function. Added comparison with Bogoliubov theory. References added