Evidence for universal relations describing a gas with p-wave interactions

In dilute gases, a set of universal relations, known as the contact relations, directly connects thermodynamics and microscopic properties. So far, they have been established only for interactions with s-wave symmetry-that is, without relative angular momentum. Here we report measurements of two new physical quantities, the p-wave contacts, and, using recently proposed relations, present evidence that they encode the universal aspects of p-wave interactions. Our experiments use an ultracold Fermi gas of K-40, in which s-wave interactions are suppressed by polarizing the sample, whereas p-wave interactions are enhanced by working near a scattering resonance. Using time-resolved spectroscopy, we study how correlations in the system develop after quenching the atoms into an interacting state. By combining quasi-steady-state measurements with new contact relations, we infer an attractive p-wave interaction energy as large as half the Fermi energy. Our results reveal new ways to understand and characterize the properties of a resonant p-wave quantum gas.