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We have reached simultaneous quantum degeneracy for fermionic Li and Cr atoms for the first time. In this work, we explain our all-optical strategy to realize large samples of more than 2x105 6Li and 105 53Cr atoms with T/TF as low as 0.25 in less than 13 s. Moreover, by use of a crossed bichromatic optical dipole trap, we are able to control the relative density and degree of degeneracy of the mixture components. This novel mass-imbalanced Fermi mixture, which we already proved to possess suitable Feshbach resonances in a previous work [Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 093402 (2022)], opens the way to the observation of novel exotic few- and many-body phenomena, as well as the creation of ultracold polar paramagnetic LiCr molecules. Finally, our experimental methods can be exploited to realize large Fermi gases or homonuclear spin-mixtures of 53Cr, which will enable us to investigate the effects of weak dipolar interactions on BEC-BCS crossover physics. Our results have been recently published in Physical Review A: A. Ciamei et al. |
Mass imbalanced fermions are great! In the CrLi lab we produce novel ultracold mixtures composed by Lithium and Chromium fermionic atoms. At the Cr-Li mass ratio exotic trimer states exist, which in turn will allow the first resonant control of elastic three-body interactions. This opens new perspectives for the study of elusive superfluid and magnetic phases with ultracold fermions.