Shielding collisions of ultracold CaF molecules with static electric fields
We study collisions of ultracold CaF molecules in strong static electric fields. These fields allow the creation of long-range barriers in the interaction potential, effectively preventing the molecules from reaching the short-range region where inelastic and other loss processes are likely to occur...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Physical Society
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Physical Review Research |
| Online Access: | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.5.033097 |
| _version_ | 1797210425397346304 |
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| author | Bijit Mukherjee Matthew D. Frye C. Ruth Le Sueur Michael R. Tarbutt Jeremy M. Hutson |
| author_facet | Bijit Mukherjee Matthew D. Frye C. Ruth Le Sueur Michael R. Tarbutt Jeremy M. Hutson |
| author_sort | Bijit Mukherjee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We study collisions of ultracold CaF molecules in strong static electric fields. These fields allow the creation of long-range barriers in the interaction potential, effectively preventing the molecules from reaching the short-range region where inelastic and other loss processes are likely to occur. We carry out coupled-channel calculations of rate coefficients for elastic scattering and loss. We develop an efficient procedure for including energetically well-separated rotor functions in the basis set via a Van Vleck transformation. We show that shielding is particularly efficient for CaF and allows the rate of two-body loss processes to be reduced by a factor of 10^{7} or more at a field of 23 kV/cm. The loss rates remain low over a substantial range of fields. Electron and nuclear spins cause strong additional loss in some small ranges of field, but have little effect elsewhere. These results pave the way for evaporative cooling of CaF towards quantum degeneracy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:10:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-21569ed2d83a4d15953d6e75cd00490a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2643-1564 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:10:23Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physical Review Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-21569ed2d83a4d15953d6e75cd00490a2024-04-12T17:33:09ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review Research2643-15642023-08-015303309710.1103/PhysRevResearch.5.033097Shielding collisions of ultracold CaF molecules with static electric fieldsBijit MukherjeeMatthew D. FryeC. Ruth Le SueurMichael R. TarbuttJeremy M. HutsonWe study collisions of ultracold CaF molecules in strong static electric fields. These fields allow the creation of long-range barriers in the interaction potential, effectively preventing the molecules from reaching the short-range region where inelastic and other loss processes are likely to occur. We carry out coupled-channel calculations of rate coefficients for elastic scattering and loss. We develop an efficient procedure for including energetically well-separated rotor functions in the basis set via a Van Vleck transformation. We show that shielding is particularly efficient for CaF and allows the rate of two-body loss processes to be reduced by a factor of 10^{7} or more at a field of 23 kV/cm. The loss rates remain low over a substantial range of fields. Electron and nuclear spins cause strong additional loss in some small ranges of field, but have little effect elsewhere. These results pave the way for evaporative cooling of CaF towards quantum degeneracy.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.5.033097 |
| spellingShingle | Bijit Mukherjee Matthew D. Frye C. Ruth Le Sueur Michael R. Tarbutt Jeremy M. Hutson Shielding collisions of ultracold CaF molecules with static electric fields Physical Review Research |
| title | Shielding collisions of ultracold CaF molecules with static electric fields |
| title_full | Shielding collisions of ultracold CaF molecules with static electric fields |
| title_fullStr | Shielding collisions of ultracold CaF molecules with static electric fields |
| title_full_unstemmed | Shielding collisions of ultracold CaF molecules with static electric fields |
| title_short | Shielding collisions of ultracold CaF molecules with static electric fields |
| title_sort | shielding collisions of ultracold caf molecules with static electric fields |
| url | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.5.033097 |
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