Singlet {ital s}-wave scattering lengths of {sup 6}Li and {sup 7}Li
- Physics Department and Rice Quantum Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77251-1892 (United States)
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 (United States)
Photoassociation of ultracold lithium atoms into bound vibrational levels of the {ital A}{sup 1}{Sigma}{sub {ital u}}{sup +} excited state is used to probe the {ital X}{sup 1}{Sigma}{sub {ital g}}{sup +} ground-state interaction potential of {sup 6}Li{sub 2} and {sup 7}Li{sub 2}. It had been predicted that the {ital s}-wave photoassociation signal strength would pass through a minimum as a function of vibrational level for positive {ital s}-wave scattering length. We report the observation of this novel effect, and use the location of the minimum to precisely determine the singlet {ital s}-wave scattering length for both isotopes. The sensitivity of this technique is demonstrated by distinguishing the minima for collisions involving {sup 7}Li atoms in different hyperfine states. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
- OSTI ID:
- 284348
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review A, Journal Name: Physical Review A Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 53; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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