Controlling collisional loss and scattering lengths of ultracold dipolar molecules with static electric fields
Trapped samples of ultracold molecules are often short-lived because close collisions between them result in trap loss. We investigate the use of shielding with static electric fields to create repulsive barriers between polar molecules to prevent such loss. Shielding is very effective even for RbCs...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Physical Society
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Physical Review Research |
| Online Access: | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.013145 |
| _version_ | 1797210274761015296 |
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| author | Bijit Mukherjee Jeremy M. Hutson |
| author_facet | Bijit Mukherjee Jeremy M. Hutson |
| author_sort | Bijit Mukherjee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Trapped samples of ultracold molecules are often short-lived because close collisions between them result in trap loss. We investigate the use of shielding with static electric fields to create repulsive barriers between polar molecules to prevent such loss. Shielding is very effective even for RbCs, with a relatively low dipole moment, and even more effective for molecules such as NaK, NaRb, and NaCs, with progressively larger dipoles. Varying the electric field allows substantial control over the scattering length, which will be crucial for the stability or collapse of molecular Bose-Einstein condensates. This arises because the dipole-dipole interaction creates a long-range attraction that is tunable with electric field. For RbCs, the scattering length is positive across the range where shielding is effective because the repulsion responsible for shielding dominates. For NaK, the scattering length can be tuned across zero to negative values. For NaRb and NaCs, the attraction is strong enough to support tetra-atomic bound states, and the scattering length passes through resonant poles where these states cross threshold. For KAg and CsAg, there are multiple bound states and multiple poles. For each molecule, we calculate the variation of the scattering length with field and comment on the possibilities for exploring new physics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:08:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f07d29bae24244f681b81f072015f1a8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2643-1564 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:08:00Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physical Review Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-f07d29bae24244f681b81f072015f1a82024-04-12T17:38:58ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review Research2643-15642024-02-016101314510.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.013145Controlling collisional loss and scattering lengths of ultracold dipolar molecules with static electric fieldsBijit MukherjeeJeremy M. HutsonTrapped samples of ultracold molecules are often short-lived because close collisions between them result in trap loss. We investigate the use of shielding with static electric fields to create repulsive barriers between polar molecules to prevent such loss. Shielding is very effective even for RbCs, with a relatively low dipole moment, and even more effective for molecules such as NaK, NaRb, and NaCs, with progressively larger dipoles. Varying the electric field allows substantial control over the scattering length, which will be crucial for the stability or collapse of molecular Bose-Einstein condensates. This arises because the dipole-dipole interaction creates a long-range attraction that is tunable with electric field. For RbCs, the scattering length is positive across the range where shielding is effective because the repulsion responsible for shielding dominates. For NaK, the scattering length can be tuned across zero to negative values. For NaRb and NaCs, the attraction is strong enough to support tetra-atomic bound states, and the scattering length passes through resonant poles where these states cross threshold. For KAg and CsAg, there are multiple bound states and multiple poles. For each molecule, we calculate the variation of the scattering length with field and comment on the possibilities for exploring new physics.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.013145 |
| spellingShingle | Bijit Mukherjee Jeremy M. Hutson Controlling collisional loss and scattering lengths of ultracold dipolar molecules with static electric fields Physical Review Research |
| title | Controlling collisional loss and scattering lengths of ultracold dipolar molecules with static electric fields |
| title_full | Controlling collisional loss and scattering lengths of ultracold dipolar molecules with static electric fields |
| title_fullStr | Controlling collisional loss and scattering lengths of ultracold dipolar molecules with static electric fields |
| title_full_unstemmed | Controlling collisional loss and scattering lengths of ultracold dipolar molecules with static electric fields |
| title_short | Controlling collisional loss and scattering lengths of ultracold dipolar molecules with static electric fields |
| title_sort | controlling collisional loss and scattering lengths of ultracold dipolar molecules with static electric fields |
| url | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.013145 |
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