Phase transitions and pairing signature in strongly attractive Fermi atomic gases

We investigate pairing and quantum phase transitions in the one-dimensional two-component Fermi atomic gas in an external field. The phase diagram, critical fields, magnetization, and local pairing correlation are obtained analytically via the exact thermodynamic Bethe ansatz solution. At zero temperature, bound pairs of fermions with opposite spin states form a singlet ground state when the external field H<H_c1. A completely ferromagnetic phase without pairing occurs when the external field H>H_c2. In the region H_c1<H<H_c2, we observe a mixed phase of matter in which paired and unpaired atoms coexist. The phase diagram is reminiscent of that of type II superconductors. For temperatures below the degenerate temperature and in the absence of an external field, the bound pairs of fermions form hard-core bosons obeying generalized exclusion statistics.