Sound modes at the BCS-BEC crossover

Abstract

First and second sound speeds are calculated for a uniform superfluid gas of Fermi atoms as a function of temperature, density, and interaction strength. The second sound speed is of particular interest as it is a clear signal of a superfluid component and it determines the critical temperature. The sound modes and their dependence on density, scattering length, and temperature are calculated in the BCS, molecular Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), and unitarity limits and a smooth crossover is extrapolated. It is found that first and second sounds undergo avoided crossing on the BEC side due to mixing. Consequently, they are detectable at crossover both as density and thermal waves in traps.