Dilute Quantum Droplets

Abstract

In the limit when the two-body scattering length $a$ is negative and much larger than the effective two-body interaction radius the contribution to the ground state energy due to the three-body correlations is given by the Efimov effect. For particular values of the diluteness parameter $\rho |a|^3$ the three-body contribution can become the dominant term of the energy density functional. Under these conditions both Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac systems could become self-bound and either boson droplets or fermion ``designer nuclei'' of various sizes and densities could be manufactured.