Theory and Simulations of Cold atomic Fermi systems: A Quantum Many-Body Laboratory

Dear Colleagues,

The amazing experimental control and accuracy that can be currently achieved in cold atoms give us a unique possibility to observe quantum mechanics at work with unprecedented resolution. We are now able to literally engineer quantum Hamiltonians and to shed light into fascinating physical phenomena, such as fermion pairing and superfluidity. The subtle interplay between quantum mechanics, quantum statistics, and interatomic forces frequently gives rise to puzzling and counterintuitive exciting behaviors, resulting in novel phases of matter, such as exotic superfluid phases with possible important topological properties. Moreover, the unique flexibility that is available in cold Fermi gases, where, for example, the interatomic forces can be tuned by controlling an external magnetic field, allows us to mimic the conditions that exist in some of the most mysterious systems in the universe, such as unconventional superconductors and even nuclear matter inside neutron stars. At the same time, Fermi gases can be modeled with relatively simple but still very challenging Hamiltonians, which makes these systems very promising test grounds for many-body theories and numerical simulation methods. Important strongly correlated regimes are known to exist in these systems, making simple approaches fail and calling for advanced correlated methodologies to accurately study the physical properties. In particular, in the last few years, in the petaflops era, we have witnessed an unprecedented progress in numerical methodologies, and cold atoms are an ideal environment to make robust advances in the formidable challenge of solving the fundamental equations of quantum mechanics with the aid of modern supercomputers. In this Special Issue of Atoms, we will collect some of the very important new theoretical and computational research results about fermionic quantum gases. Special emphasis will be dedicated to novel theoretical approaches and novel computational approaches. Reviews of existing important theoretical and computational methods and results will be welcome. Finally, there will be a number of studies involving the importance of cold atoms in condensed matter physics, nuclear physics, and nuclear astrophysics. 

Dr. Ettore Vitali
Guest Editor

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