Ground state of a mixture of SU($3$) fermions and scalar bosons

TL;DR

This paper investigates a one-dimensional mixture of scalar bosons and SU(3) fermions, revealing new gapped states with flavor-selective coupling, using the density matrix renormalization group method, with potential cold-atom experimental realizations.

Contribution

It identifies novel gapped states with flavor-selective coupling in a Bose-Fermi-Hubbard model, expanding understanding of mixed quantum phases.

Findings

Discovery of unknown gapped states with flavor-selective coupling.

Identification of flavor-dependent coexistence of itinerant fermions and insulator states.

Potential for experimental realization in cold-atom systems.

Abstract

We explore a system composed of scalar bosons and SU($3$) fermions in one dimension. Considering only local intra- and interspecies interactions, the system is described by the Bose-Fermi-Hubbard Hamiltonian, which is studied using the density matrix renormalization group method. In addition to the common gapless and mixed Mott insulator phases, we identify unknown gapped states, in which bosons couple with some or all flavors of fermions. We unveil different flavor-selective states characterized by itinerant fermions that coexist with an insulator state where the bosons tie with only one- or two-flavor fermions. The states reported here could be implemented in cold-atoms experiments.