Single-particle excitations and the order parameter for a trapped superfluid Fermi gas

Abstract

We reveal a strong influence of a superfluid phase transition on the character of single-particle excitations of a trapped neutral-atom Fermi gas. Below the transition temperature the presence of a spatially inhomogeneous order parameter (gap) shifts up the excitation eigenenergies and leads to the appearance of in-gap excitations localized in the outer part of the gas sample. The eigenenergies become sensitive to the gas temperature and are no longer multiples of the trap frequencies. These features should manifest themselves in a strong change of the density oscillations induced by modulations of the trap frequencies and can be used for identifying the superfluid phase transition.