Experiments with cold Fermi atoms provide an exciting new testing ground for our understanding of strongly-correlated matter. Even though cold atoms can be described by extremely simple interactions, the resulting physics is extremely rich. A prototypical example is the BCS-BEC transition, where fermion pairing evolves from weak pairing of typical superfluids to very strong pairing into bosons. Many of the phenomenon observed experimentally have clear analogues in nuclear physics and related fields. Examples include the equation of state and superfluid pairing, vortices and lattices, sound velocities and the ratio of shear viscosity to entropy. Searches and predictions for new 'exotic' states of polarized superfluids will also be described, as well as directions for future research.

Argonne Physics Division Colloquium Schedule