Abstract

We study the dynamics of a nondegenerate, harmonically trapped Fermi gas following a sudden ramp of the spin-orbit coupling strength using a Boltzmann equation approach. In the absence of interactions and a Zeeman field, we solve the spin-orbit-coupled Boltzmann equation analytically and derive expressions for the phase-space and temporal dynamics of an arbitrary initial spin state. For a fully spin-polarized initial state, the total magnetization exhibits collapse and revival dynamics in time with a period set by the trapping potential. In real space, this corresponds to oscillations between a fully polarized state and a spin helix. To make predictions relevant to current experiments on spin-orbit-coupled Fermi gases, we then numerically study the dynamics in the presence of an additional momentum-independent Zeeman field. We find that the spin helix is robust for weak magnetic fields but disappears for stronger field strengths. Finally, we explore the spin dynamics in the presence of interactions and find that weak interactions enhance the amplitude of the spin helix.

Publication Details
Publication Type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2013
Volume
88
DOI
10.1103/PhysRevA.88.033613
Journal
Physical Review A
Contributors