Quantitative comparison between theoretical predictions and experimental results for Bragg spectroscopy of a strongly interacting Fermi superfluid

Abstract

Theoretical predictions for the dynamic structure factor of a harmonically trapped Fermi superfluid near the Bose-Einstein condensate--Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BEC-BCS) crossover are compared with recent Bragg spectroscopy measurements at large transferred momenta. The calculations are based on a random-phase (or time-dependent Hartree-Fock-Gorkov) approximation generalized to the strongly interacting regime. Excellent agreement with experimental spectra at low temperatures is obtained, with no free parameters. Theoretical predictions for zero-temperature static structure factor are also found to agree well with the experimental results and independent theoretical calculations based on the exact Tan relations. The temperature dependence of the structure factors at unitarity is predicted.