Non-equilibrium spin dynamics in a trapped Fermi gas with effective spin-orbit interaction

Abstract

We consider a trapped atomic system in the presence of spatially varying laser fields. The laser-atom interaction generates a pseudospin degree of freedom (referred to simply as spin) and leads to an effective spin-orbit coupling for the fermions in the trap. Reflections of the fermions from the trap boundaries provide a physical mechanism for effective momentum relaxation and non-trivial spin dynamics due to the emergent spin-orbit coupling. We explicitly consider evolution of an initially spin-polarized Fermi gas in a two-dimensional harmonic trap and derive non-equilibrium behavior of the spin polarization. It shows periodic echoes with a frequency equal to the harmonic trapping frequency. Perturbations, such as an asymmetry of the trap, lead to the suppression of the spin echo amplitudes. We discuss a possible experimental setup to observe spin dynamics and provide numerical estimates of relevant parameters.

5 pages, 4 figures; published version

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• Bright solitons in spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensates
• Observing Zitterbewegung in Ultracold Atoms
• Effect of Induced Spin-Orbit Coupling for Atoms via Laser Fields
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• Exotic quantum spin models in spin-orbit-coupled Mott insulators
• Chiral Rashba spin textures in ultra-cold Fermi gases
• Topological Insulators and Metals in Atomic Optical Lattices
• Unconventional Bose-Einstein Condensations Beyond the "No-node" Theorem
• Composite fermion state of spin-orbit coupled bosons
• Atomic Zitterbewegung
• Delocalization of relativistic Dirac particles in disordered one-dimensional systems and its implementation with cold atoms
• Double and negative reflection of cold atoms in non-Abelian gauge potentials
• Chaos-driven dynamics in spin-orbit coupled atomic gases
• Spin Field Effect Transistors with Ultracold Atoms
• Spin-orbit coupling and perpendicular Zeeman field for fermionic cold atoms: observation of the intrinsic anomalous Hall effect
• Spin-Seebeck effect in a strongly interacting Fermi gas
• Unusual Zeeman-field effects in two-dimensional spin-orbit-coupled Fermi superfluids
• Position-dependent spin-orbit coupling for ultracold atoms
• Drag force on a moving impurity in a spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensate
• Interferometry with Synthetic Gauge Fields
• Four-Step Evolution of Spin-Hall Conductance: Tight-Binding Electrons with Rashba Coupling in a Magnetic Field
• Interplay between Rashba spin-orbit coupling and adiabatic rotation in a two-dimensional Fermi gas