Shell structure in the density profile of a rotating gas of spin-polarized fermions

Abstract

We present analytical expressions and numerical illustrations for the ground-state density distribution of an ideal gas of spin-polarized fermions moving in two dimensions and driven to rotate in a harmonic well of circular or elliptical shape. We show that with suitable choices of the strength of the Lorentz force for charged fermions, or of the rotational frequency for neutral fermions, the density of states can be tuned as a function of the angular momentum so as to display a prominent shell structure in the spatial density profile of the gas. We also show how this feature of the density profile is revealed in the static structure factor determining the elastic light-scattering spectrum of the gas. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.