Paper detail

Rapidly Rotating Fermions in an Anisotropic Trap

We consider a cold gas of non-interacting fermions in a two dimensional harmonic trap with two different trapping frequencies $ω_x \leq ω_y$, and discuss the effect of rotation on the density profile. Depending on the rotation frequency $Ω$ and the trap anisotropy $ω_y/ω_x$, the density profile assumes two qualitatively different shapes. For small anisotropy ($ω_y/ω_x \ll \sqrt{1+4 Ω^2/ω_x^2}$), the density consists of elliptical plateaus of constant density, corresponding to Landau levels and is well described by a two dimensional local density approximation. For large anisotropy ($ω_y/ω_x \gg \sqrt{1+4 Ω^2/ω_x^2}$), the density profile is Gaussian in the strong confining direction and semicircular with prominent Friedel oscillations in the weak direction. In this regime, a one dimensional local density approximation is well suited to describe the system. The crossover between the two regimes is smooth where the step structure between the Landau level edges turn into Friedel oscillations. Increasing the temperature causes the step structure or the Friedel oscillations to wash out leaving a Boltzmann gas density profile.