Atom Pairing in Optical Superlattices.

We study the pairing of fermions in a one-dimensional lattice of tunable double-well potentials using radio-frequency spectroscopy. The spectra reveal the coexistence of two types of atom pairs with different symmetries. Our measurements are in excellent quantitative agreement with a theoretical model, obtained by extending the Green's function method of Orso et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 060402 (2005)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.95.060402] to a bichromatic 1D lattice with nonzero harmonic radial confinement. The predicted spectra comprise hundreds of discrete transitions, with symmetry-dependent initial state populations and transition strengths. Our work provides an understanding of the elementary pairing states in a superlattice, paving the way for new studies of strongly interacting many-body systems.