Masahiko Machida

F erromagnetism in multi-orbital Fermi gas loaded on a one-dimensional optical lattice

We study a multi-orbital Fermi gas loaded on a one-dimensional optical lattice with harmonic trap potential. We show that this multi-orbital gas contains various quantum phases, i.e., (i) the ferromagnetic phase in large on–site interaction and (ii) the Haldane phase at half filling. Furthermore, our density-matrix renormalization-group simulations lead to systematic studies about the ground state, varying on–site interaction, spin imbalance, and total particle number, under spatial inhomogeneity originating from the trap potential. This trap potential produces a rich phase structure. In a metallic region, the phase-separated ferromagnetism appears, whereas in a central Mott core the Haldane phase is found. One of the remarkable features is that the ferromagnetic metal phase behaves as the edge state of the Haldane phase when these two phases coexist.