Exact theory of the finite-temperature spectral function of Fermi polarons with multiple particle-hole excitations: diagrammatic theory versus Chevy ansatz

Abstract

By using both diagrammatic theory and Chevy ansatz approach, we derive an exact set of equations, which determines the spectral function of Fermi polarons with multiple particle-hole excitations at nonzero temperature. In the diagrammatic theory, we find out the complete series of Feynman diagrams for the multi-particle vertex functions, when the unregularized contact interaction strength becomes infinitesimal, a typical situation occurring in two- or three-dimensional free space. The latter Chevy ansatz approach is more widely applicable, allowing a nonzero interaction strength. We clarify the equivalence of the two approaches for an infinitesimal interaction strength and show that the variational coefficients in the Chevy ansatz are precisely the on-shell multi-particle vertex functions divided by an excitation energy. Truncated to a particular order of particle-hole excitations, the set of equations can be used to approximately calculate the finite-temperature polaron spectral function, once the numerical singularities in the equations are appropriately treated. As a concrete example, we calculate the finite-temperature spectral function of Fermi polarons in one-dimensional lattices, taking into account all the two-particle-hole excitations. We show that the inclusion of two-particle-hole excitations quantitatively improve the predictions on the polaron spectral function. Our results provide a useful way to solve the challenge problem of accurately predicting the finite-temperature spectral function of Fermi polarons in three-dimensional free space. In addition, our clarification of the complete set of Feynman diagrams for the multi-particle polaron vertex functions may inspire the development of more accurate diagrammatic theories of population-imbalanced strongly interacting Fermi gases, beyond the conventional many-body T-matrix approximation.