Experimental Investigation of Ultracold Atom-Molecule Collisions
- Physikalisches Institut, Universitaet Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Strasse 3, 79104 Freiburg (Germany)
Ultracold collisions between Cs atoms and Cs{sub 2} dimers in the electronic ground state are observed in an optically trapped gas of atoms and molecules. The Cs{sub 2} molecules are formed in the triplet ground state by cw photoassociation through the outer well of the 0{sub g}{sup -}(P{sub 3/2}) excited electronic state. Inelastic atom-molecule collisions converting internal excitation into kinetic energy lead to a loss of Cs{sub 2} molecules from the dipole trap. Rate coefficients are determined for collisions involving Cs atoms in either the F=3 or F=4 hyperfine ground state, and Cs{sub 2} molecules in either highly vibrationally excited states (v{sup '}=32-47) or in low vibrational states (v{sup '}=4-6) of the a {sup 3}{sigma}{sub u}{sup +} triplet ground state. The rate coefficients {beta}{approx}10{sup -10} cm{sup 3}/s are found to be largely independent of the vibrational and rotational excitation indicating unitary limited cross sections.
- OSTI ID:
- 20775041
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review Letters, Vol. 96, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.023201; (c) 2006 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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