Confinement induced molecules in a 1D Fermi gas

Phys Rev Lett. 2005 Jun 3;94(21):210401. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.210401. Epub 2005 Jun 3.

Abstract

We have observed two-particle bound states of atoms confined in a one-dimensional matter waveguide. These bound states exist irrespective of the sign of the scattering length, contrary to the situation in free space. Using radio-frequency spectroscopy we have measured the binding energy of these dimers as a function of the scattering length and confinement and find good agreement with theory. The strongly interacting one-dimensional Fermi gas which we create in an optical lattice represents a realization of a tunable Luttinger liquid.