Pairing and vortex lattices for interacting fermions in optical lattices with a large magnetic field

Abstract

We study the structure of a pairing order parameter for spin-1/2 fermions with attractive interactions in a square lattice under a uniform magnetic field. Because the magnetic translation symmetry gives a unique degeneracy in the single-particle spectrum, the pair wave function has both zero and finite-momentum components coexisting, and their relative phases are determined by a self-consistent mean-field theory. We present a microscopic calculation that can determine the vortex lattice structure in the superfluid phase for different flux densities. Phase transition from a Hofstadter insulator to a superfluid phase is also discussed. © 2010 The American Physical Society.