We investigate the pairing symmetry of the superfluid state in repulsively interacting three-component (color) fermionic atoms in optical lattices. When two of the three color-dependent repulsions are much stronger than the other, pairing symmetry is an extended $s$ wave, although the superfluid state appears adjacent to the paired Mott insulator in the phase diagram. On the other hand, when two of the three color-dependent repulsions are weaker than the other, pairing symmetry is a $d_{x^2-y^2}$ wave. This change in pairing symmetry is attributed to the change in the dominant quantum fluctuations from the density fluctuations of unpaired atoms and the color-density wave fluctuations to the color-selective antiferromagnet fluctuations. This phenomenon can be studied using existing experimental techniques.

• Received 26 August 2014
• Revised 19 June 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.92.023617