We discuss various aspects of the single vortex state of a dilute superfluid atomic Fermi gas at $T=0.\mathrm{}$ The energy of the vortex in a trapped gas is calculated and we provide an expression for the thermodynamic critical rotation frequency of the trap for its formation. Furthermore, we propose a method to detect the presence of a vortex by calculating the effect of its associated velocity field on the collective mode spectrum of the gas.

• Received 1 June 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.64.063606