Zeeman relaxation induced by spin-orbit coupling in cold antimony-helium collisions
We investigate Zeeman relaxation in cold Sb([superscript 4]S[subscript 3/2]∘)–He collisions in a magnetic field. Ensembles of >10[superscript 13] laser-ablated Sb atoms are cooled in cryogenic [superscript 4]He buffer gas to 800 mK and inelastic collisions are observed to equilibrate the m[subscr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
| Published: |
American Physical Society
2013
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/80299 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9528-3044 |
| Summary: | We investigate Zeeman relaxation in cold Sb([superscript 4]S[subscript 3/2]∘)–He collisions in a magnetic field. Ensembles of >10[superscript 13] laser-ablated Sb atoms are cooled in cryogenic [superscript 4]He buffer gas to 800 mK and inelastic collisions are observed to equilibrate the m[subscript J]-state distribution to the translational temperature. The ratio γ of momentum transfer to inelastic collision rates is measured to be ⩽9.1×10[superscript 2]. We also perform quantum scattering calculations of Sb–[superscript 4]He collisions, based on ab initio interaction potentials, that demonstrate significant anisotropy of the ground state induced by the spin-orbit interaction. Agreement is obtained between theory and experiment with a ≈10% increase in the ab initio potential depth. This work suggests that buffer-gas-cooled pnictogen atoms lighter than Sb can be loaded into a magnetic trap. |
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