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Ground-state densities of repulsive two-component Fermi gases

We investigate separations of trapped balanced two-component atomic Fermi gases with repulsive contact interaction. Candidates for ground-state densities are obtained from the imaginary-time evolution of a nonlinear pseudo-Schrödinger equation in three dimensions, rather than from the cumbersome variational equations. With the underlying hydrodynamical approach, gradient corrections to the Thomas-Fermi approximation are conveniently included and are shown to be vital for reliable density profiles. We provide critical repulsion strengths that mark the onset of phase transitions in a harmonic trap. We present transitions from identical density profiles of the two fermion species towards isotropic and anisotropic separations for various confinements, including harmonic and double-well-type traps. Our proposed method is suited for arbitrary trap geometries and can be straightforwardly extended to study dynamics in the light of ongoing experiments on degenerate Fermi gases.