Formation of ultracold polar molecules in a single quantum state

Journal Article · Tue Jun 15 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.81.060704· OSTI ID:21407875

Cote, Robin; Juarros, Elizabeth ^[1]; Kirby, Kate ^[2]

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1. Physics Department, University of Connecticut, 2152 Hillside Rd., Storrs, Connecticut 06269-3046 (United States)
2. ITAMP, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 (United States)

We compute the formation rate of a polar molecule, LiH, into the lowest triplet electronic state, a {sup 3{Sigma}+}, via population of the intermediate excited electronic state, b {sup 3{Pi}}, followed by radiative decay. We find large formation rates into the single rovibrational bound state (v=0,J=0) of the a {sup 3{Sigma}+}, which can be explained by the unusually large overlap of its wave function with those of the two upper-most bound levels of the b {sup 3{Pi}}. With conservative parameters, we estimate that over 10{sup 4} molecules/s could be produced in the single rovibrational level of the a {sup 3{Sigma}+} state. We also discuss scattering properties of LiH triplet molecules and their relevance to ultracold chemical reactions.

• OSTI ID: 21407875
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Journal Name: Physical Review. A Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 81; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
BOUND STATE
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECAY
FUNCTIONS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LITHIUM COMPOUNDS
LITHIUM HYDRIDES
MOLECULES
MULTIPLETS
PARTICLE DECAY
RADIATIVE DECAY
SCATTERING
TRIPLETS
WAVE FUNCTIONS