Ultra-cold fermions in optical lattices

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent theoretical advances in understanding strongly correlated ultra-cold fermions in optical lattices, highlighting collective mode behavior at the Mott transition and new methods for finite-temperature correlation functions.

Contribution

It introduces a new exact technique using stochastic gauge with Gaussian operators to analyze correlation functions at finite temperature.

Findings

Sharp decrease in collective mode frequency at Mott transition

Application of stochastic gauge technique for finite-temperature correlations

Theoretical predictions for signatures of strong correlations in optical lattices

Abstract

We summarize recent theoretical results for the signatures of strongly correlated ultra-cold fermions in optical lattices. In particular, we focus on: collective mode calculations, where a sharp decrease in collective mode frequency is predicted at the onset of the Mott metal-insulator transition; and correlation functions at finite temperature, where we employ a new exact technique that applies the stochastic gauge technique with a Gaussian operator basis.