We review the status of cooling techniques aimed at achieving the deepest quantum degeneracy for atomic Fermi gases. We first discuss some physics motivations, providing a quantitative assessment of the need for deep quantum degeneracy in relevant physics cases, such as the search for unconventional superfluid states. The attention is then focused on the most widespread technique to reach deep quantum degeneracy for Fermi systems, sympathetic cooling of Bose—Fermi mixtures, organizing the discussion according to the specific species involved. Various proposals to circumvent some of the limitations to achieve deepest Fermi degeneracy, and their experimental realizations, are then reviewed. We finally discuss the extension of these techniques to optical lattices, and the implementation of precision thermometry crucial to understand the phase diagram of classical and quantum phase transitions in Fermi gases.

Keywords: ultracold Fermi gases, Fermi—Bose mixtures, superfluidity phenomena, atomic trapping, thermometry PACS: 03.75.Ss, 05.30.Fk, 07.20.Dt, 37.10.De, 67.60.Bc (all) DOI: 10.3367/UFNe.2016.07.037873 URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2016/11/c/ 000396002700003 2-s2.0-85012970207 2016PhyU...59.1129O Citation: Onofrio R "Cooling and thermometry of atomic Fermi gases" Phys. Usp. 59 1129–1153 (2016) BibTexBibNote ® (generic)BibNote ® (RIS) MedlineRefWorks PT Journal Article TI Cooling and thermometry of atomic Fermi gases AU Onofrio R FAU Onofrio R DP 10 Nov, 2016 TA Phys. Usp. VI 59 IP 11 PG 1129-1153 RX 10.3367/UFNe.2016.07.037873 URL https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2016/11/c/ SO Phys. Usp. 2016 Nov 10;59(11):1129-1153 Received: 8th, June 2016, revised: 5th, July 2016, accepted: 6th, July 2016 Оригинал: Онофрио Р «Охлаждение и термометрия атомных ферми-газов» УФН 186 1229–1256 (2016); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.2016.07.037873