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Title: Ultracold atom-molecule collisions and bound states in magnetic fields: Tuning zero-energy Feshbach resonances in He-NH ({sup 3}{sigma}{sup -})

Journal Article · · Physical Review. A
;  [1]
  1. Departamento de Fisica General y Matematicas, InSTEC, Habana 6163 (Cuba)

We have generalized the BOUND and MOLSCAT packages to allow calculations in basis sets where the monomer Hamiltonians are off diagonal and used this capability to carry out bound-state and scattering calculations on {sup 3}He-NH and {sup 4}He-NH as a function of magnetic field. Following the bound-state energies to the point where they cross thresholds gives very precise predictions of the magnetic fields at which zero-energy Feshbach resonances occur. We have used this to locate and characterize two very narrow Feshbach resonances in {sup 3}He-NH. Such resonances can be used to tune elastic and inelastic collision cross sections, and sweeping the magnetic field across them will allow a form of quantum control in which separated atoms and molecules are associated to form complexes. For the first resonance, where only elastic scattering is possible, the scattering length shows a pole as a function of magnetic field and there is a very large peak in the elastic cross section. For the second resonance, however, inelastic scattering is also possible. In this case the pole in the scattering length is dramatically suppressed and the cross sections show relatively small peaks. The peak suppression is expected to be even larger in systems with stronger inelasticity. The results suggest that calculations on ultracold molecular inelastic collisions may be much less sensitive to details of the potential energy surface than has been believed.

OSTI ID:
20982116
Journal Information:
Physical Review. A, Vol. 75, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.75.022702; (c) 2007 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1050-2947
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English