Large phonon time-of-flight fluctuations in expanding flat condensates of cold fermi gases

Abstract

We reexamine how quantum density fluctuations in condensates of ultra-cold fermi gases lead to fluctuations in phonon times-of-flight, an effect that increases as density is reduced. We suggest that these effects should be measurable in pancake-like (two-dimensional) condensates on their release from their confining optical traps, providing their initial (width/thickness) aspect ratio is suitably large.