BCS-BEC crossover in atomic Fermi gases in quasi-two-dimensional Lieb lattices: Effects of flat band and finite temperature

Abstract: We investigate the finite-temperature superfluid behavior of ultracold atomic Fermi gases in quasi-two-dimensional Lieb lattices with a short-range attractive interaction, using a pairing fluctuation theory within the BCS-BEC crossover framework. We find that the presence of a flat band, along with van Hove singularities, leads to exotic quantum phenomena. As the Fermi level enters the flat band, both the gap and the superfluid transition temperature $T_c$ as a function of interaction change from a conventional exponential behavior into an unusual power law, and the evolution of superfluid densities with temperature also follows a power law even at weak interactions. The quantum geometric effects, manifested by an enhanced effective pair hopping integral, may contribute significantly to both $T_c$ and the superfluidities. As the chemical potential crosses the van Hove singularities in the weak interaction regime, the nature of pairing changes between particle-like and hole-like. A pair density wave state emerges at high densities with a relatively strong interaction strength.