The Equation of State of the Unitary Fermi Gas: An Update on Lattice Calculations

TL;DR

This paper reviews advanced lattice quantum Monte Carlo calculations of the thermodynamic properties of the unitary Fermi gas, comparing them with recent high-precision experimental data to enhance understanding of its superfluid transition.

Contribution

It provides an updated overview of AFQMC lattice calculations for the UFG and compares these results with recent experimental measurements, highlighting methodological advances.

Findings

AFQMC results align well with experimental data

Identification of the superfluid transition regime

Improved understanding of thermodynamics below T/eF ~ 0.20

Abstract

The thermodynamic properties of the unitary Fermi gas (UFG) have recently been measured to unprecedented accuracy at the MIT. In particular, these measurements provide an improved understanding of the regime below T/eF ~ 0.20, where a transition into a superfluid phase occurs. In light of this development, we present an overview of state-of-the-art auxiliary field quantum Monte Carlo (AFQMC) results for the UFG at finite temperature and compare them with the MIT data for the energy, chemical potential, and density. These AFQMC results have been obtained using methods based on the hybrid Monte Carlo (HMC) algorithm, which was first introduced within the context of lattice QCD.