Negative Echo in the Density Evolution of Ultracold Fermionic Gases

Abstract

We predict a nonequilibrium critical phenomenon in the space-time density evolution of a fermionic gas above the temperature of transition into the superfluid phase. On the BCS side of the BEC-BCS crossover, the evolution of a localized density disturbance exhibits a negative echo at the point of the initial inhomogeneity. Approaching the BEC side, this effect competes with the slow spreading of the density of bosonic molecules. However, even here the echo dominates for large enough times. This effect may be used as an experimental tool to locate the position of the transition.