Anderson Lattice Description of Photoassociation in an Optical Lattice

TL;DR

This paper models photoassociation in an optical lattice of bosons and fermions using the Anderson Lattice Model, revealing complex spatial structures and magnetic correlations in the strong coupling regime.

Contribution

It introduces a novel application of the Anderson Lattice Model to describe photoassociation in optical lattices with inhomogeneous trapping.

Findings

Anti-ferromagnetic correlations develop around a spin-singlet core.

Spatial structures depend on atom-molecule interactions and trapping potential.

Ground state properties are characterized in the strong coupling regime.

Abstract

We consider atomic mixtures of bosons and two-component fermions in an optical lattice potential. We show that if the bosons are in a Mott-insulator state with precisely one atom per lattice, the photoassociation of bosonic and fermionic atoms into heteronuclear fermionic molecules is described by the Anderson Lattice Model. We determine the ground state properties of an inhomogeneous version of that model in the strong atom-molecule coupling regime, including an additional harmonic trap potential. Various spatial structures arise from the interplay between the atom-molecule correlations and the confining potential. Perturbation theory with respect to the tunneling coupling between fermionic atoms shows that anti-ferromagnetic correlations develop around a spin-singlet core of fermionic atoms and molecules.