Singlet {ital s}-wave scattering lengths of {sup 6}Li and {sup 7}Li

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996 · Physical Review A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.53.R3713· OSTI ID:284348

Abraham, E R; McAlexander, W I; Gerton, J M; Hulet, R G ^[1]; Cote, R; Dalgarno, A ^[2]

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1. Physics Department and Rice Quantum Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77251-1892 (United States)
2. 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

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
COOLING
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
GROUND STATES
HYPERFINE STRUCTURE
LITHIUM 6
LITHIUM 7
LITHIUM COMPOUNDS
PHOTON-ATOM COLLISIONS
S WAVES
SCATTERING LENGTHS
VIBRATIONAL STATES