Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:0802.2553 · Physical Review A

Ultracold atom-molecule collisions with fermionic atoms

José Paulo D'Incao, Brett D. Esry, Chris H. Greene

Published May 19, 2008• 24 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Elastic and inelastic properties of weakly bound $s$- and $p$-wave molecules of fermionic atoms that collide with a third atom are investigated. Analysis of calculated collisional properties of $s$-wave dimers of fermions in different spin states permit us to compare and highlight the physical mechanisms that determine the stability of $s$-wave and $p$-wave molecules. In contrast to $s$-wave molecules, the collisional properties of $p$-wave molecules are found to be largely insensitive to variations of the $p$-wave scattering length, and these collisions will usually result in short molecular lifetimes. We also discuss the importance of this result for both theories and experiments involving degenerate Fermi gases.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.77.052709

Related papers

Collisional Stability of Fermionic Feshbach Molecules

J. J. Zirbel, Kang-Kuen Ni, Silke Ospelkaus +4 more

Using a Feshbach resonance, we create ultracold fermionic molecules starting from a Bose-Fermi atom gas mixture. The resulting mixture of atoms and weakly bound molecules provides a rich system for studying few-body collisions because of the variety of atomic collision partners for molecules; either bosonic, fermionic, or distinguishable atoms. Inelastic loss of the molecules near the Feshbach resonance is dramatically affected by the quantum statistics of the colliding particles and the scattering length. In particular, we observe a molecule lifetime as long as 100 ms near the Feshbach resonance.

arXiv:0710.2479•Physical Review Letters•Apr 8, 2008•131 citations

Long-lived fermionic Feshbach molecules with tunable p -wave interactions

Marcel Duda, Xing-Yan Chen, Roman Bause +3 more

Ultracold fermionic Feshbach molecules are promising candidates for exploring quantum matter with strong $p$-wave interactions; however, their lifetimes were measured to be short. Here we characterize the $p$-wave collisions of ultracold fermionic $^{23}\mathrm{Na}^{40}\mathrm{K}$ Feshbach molecules for different scattering lengths and temperatures. By increasing the binding energy of the molecules, the two-body loss coefficient reduces by three orders of magnitude, leading to a second-long lifetime 20 times longer than that of ground-state NaK molecules. We exploit the scaling of elastic and inelastic collisions with the scattering length and temperature to identify a regime where the elastic collisions dominate over the inelastic ones, allowing the molecular sample to thermalize. Our results provide a benchmark for four-body calculations of molecular collisions and pave the way for investigating quantum many-body phenomena with fermionic Feshbach molecules.

arXiv:2202.06940•Physical Review A•May 31, 2023•8 citations

Collisional properties of weakly bound heteronuclear dimers

Bout Marcelis, S. J. J. M. F. Kokkelmans, Georgy V. Shlyapnikov +1 more

We consider collisional properties of weakly bound heteronuclear molecules (dimers) formed in a two-species mixture of atoms with a large mass difference. We focus on dimers containing light fermionic atoms as they manifest collisional stability due to an effective dimer-dimer repulsion originating from the exchange of the light atoms. In order to solve the dimer-dimer scattering problem we develop a theoretical approach, which provides a physically transparent and quantitative description of this four-atom system in terms of three- and two-body observables. We calculate the elastic scattering amplitude and the rates of inelastic processes such as the trimer formation and the relaxation of dimers into deeply bound molecular states. Irrespective of whether the heavy atoms are bosons or fermions, the inelastic rate can be significantly lower than the rate of elastic collisions. Moreover, the measurement of the inelastic rate which is a four-body observable, can be an efficient and precise tool for determining three-body observables such as the three-body parameter, positions of Efimov states, and their lifetimes.

arXiv:0711.4632•Physical Review A•Mar 13, 2008•47 citations

Scattering properties of weakly bound dimers of fermionic atoms

Dmitry S. Petrov, Ch Salomon, Georgy V. Shlyapnikov

We consider weakly bound diatomic molecules (dimers) formed in a two-component atomic Fermi gas with a large positive scattering length for the interspecies interaction. We develop a theoretical approach for calculating atom-dimer and dimer-dimer elastic scattering and for analyzing the inelastic collisional relaxation of the molecules into deep bound states. This approach is based on the single-channel zero-range approximation, and we find that it is applicable in the vicinity of a wide two-body Feshbach resonance. Our results draw prospects for various interesting manipulations of weakly bound dimers of fermionic atoms.

arXiv:cond-mat/0407579•Physical Review A•Jan 14, 2005•190 citations

Superfluid regimes in degenerate atomic Fermi gases

Gora V. Shlyapnikov

We give a brief overview of recent studies of quantum degenerate regimes in ultracold Fermi gases. The attention is focused on the regime of Bose‐Einstein condensation of weakly bound molecules of fermionic atoms, formed at a large positive scattering length for the interspecies atom‐atom interaction. We analyze remarkable collisional stability of these molecules and draw prospects for future studies.

AIP conference proceedings•Jan 1, 2005•0 citations

SUPERFLUID REGIMES IN DEGENERATE ATOMIC FERMI GASES

Gora V. Shlyapnikov

We give a brief overview of recent studies of quantum degenerate regimes in ultracold Fermi gases. The attention is focused on the regime of Bose-Einstein condensation of weakly bound molecules of fermionic atoms, formed at a large positive scattering length for the interspecies atom-atom interaction. We analyze remarkable collisional stability of these molecules and draw prospects for future studies.

International Journal of Modern Physics B•Jul 30, 2006•0 citations
Elastic and inelastic properties of weakly bound sss- and ppp-wave molecules of fermionic atoms that collide with a third atom are investigated. Analysis of calculated collisional properties of sss-wave dimers of fermions in different spin states permit us to compare and highlight the physical mechanisms that determine the stability of sss-wave and ppp-wave molecules. In contrast to sss-wave molecules, the collisional properties of ppp-wave molecules are found to be largely insensitive to variations of the ppp-wave scattering length, and these collisions will usually result in short molecular lifetimes. We also discuss the importance of this result for both theories and experiments involving degenerate Fermi gases.
Using a Feshbach resonance, we create ultracold fermionic molecules starting from a Bose-Fermi atom gas mixture. The resulting mixture of atoms and weakly bound molecules provides a rich system for studying few-body collisions because of the variety of atomic collision partners for molecules; either bosonic, fermionic, or distinguishable atoms. Inelastic loss of the molecules near the Feshbach resonance is dramatically affected by the quantum statistics of the colliding particles and the scattering length. In particular, we observe a molecule lifetime as long as 100 ms near the Feshbach resonance.
Ultracold fermionic Feshbach molecules are promising candidates for exploring quantum matter with strong ppp-wave interactions; however, their lifetimes were measured to be short. Here we characterize the ppp-wave collisions of ultracold fermionic 23Na40K^{23}\mathrm{Na}^{40}\mathrm{K}23Na40K Feshbach molecules for different scattering lengths and temperatures. By increasing the binding energy of the molecules, the two-body loss coefficient reduces by three orders of magnitude, leading to a second-long lifetime 20 times longer than that of ground-state NaK molecules. We exploit the scaling of elastic and inelastic collisions with the scattering length and temperature to identify a regime where the elastic collisions dominate over the inelastic ones, allowing the molecular sample to thermalize. Our results provide a benchmark for four-body calculations of molecular collisions and pave the way for investigating quantum many-body phenomena with fermionic Feshbach molecules.
We consider collisional properties of weakly bound heteronuclear molecules (dimers) formed in a two-species mixture of atoms with a large mass difference. We focus on dimers containing light fermionic atoms as they manifest collisional stability due to an effective dimer-dimer repulsion originating from the exchange of the light atoms. In order to solve the dimer-dimer scattering problem we develop a theoretical approach, which provides a physically transparent and quantitative description of this four-atom system in terms of three- and two-body observables. We calculate the elastic scattering amplitude and the rates of inelastic processes such as the trimer formation and the relaxation of dimers into deeply bound molecular states. Irrespective of whether the heavy atoms are bosons or fermions, the inelastic rate can be significantly lower than the rate of elastic collisions. Moreover, the measurement of the inelastic rate which is a four-body observable, can be an efficient and precise tool for determining three-body observables such as the three-body parameter, positions of Efimov states, and their lifetimes.
We consider weakly bound diatomic molecules (dimers) formed in a two-component atomic Fermi gas with a large positive scattering length for the interspecies interaction. We develop a theoretical approach for calculating atom-dimer and dimer-dimer elastic scattering and for analyzing the inelastic collisional relaxation of the molecules into deep bound states. This approach is based on the single-channel zero-range approximation, and we find that it is applicable in the vicinity of a wide two-body Feshbach resonance. Our results draw prospects for various interesting manipulations of weakly bound dimers of fermionic atoms.