Collisionless spin dynamics in a magnetic field gradient

Abstract

We study the collisionless spin dynamics of a harmonically trapped Fermi gas in a magnetic field gradient. In the absence of interactions, the system evolution is periodic: the magnetization develops twists, which evolve into a longitudinal polarization. Recurrences follow. For weak interaction, the exchange interactions lead to beats in these oscillations. We present an array of analytic and numerical techniques for studying this physics.