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arXiv:0808.1230 · Physical Review A

Range corrections to three-body observables near a Feshbach resonance

Lucas Platter, Chen Ji, Daniel R. Phillips

Published Feb 3, 2009• 65 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

A nonrelativistic system of three identical particles will display a rich set of universal features known as Efimov physics if the scattering length $a$ is much larger than the range $l$ of the underlying two-body interaction. An appropriate effective theory facilitates the derivation of both results in the $\ensuremath{\mid}a\ensuremath{\mid}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$ limit and finite-$l∕a$ corrections to observables of interest. Here we use such an effective-theory treatment to consider the impact of corrections linear in the two-body effective range, ${r}_{s}$, on the three-boson bound-state spectrum and recombination rate for $\ensuremath{\mid}a\ensuremath{\mid}⪢\ensuremath{\mid}{r}_{s}\ensuremath{\mid}$. We do this by first deriving results appropriate to the strict limit $\ensuremath{\mid}a\ensuremath{\mid}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$ in coordinate space. We then extend these results to finite $a$ using once-subtracted momentum-space integral equations. We take the cutoff on these equations to be large compared to $1∕\ensuremath{\mid}{r}_{s}\ensuremath{\mid}$, and find that the first-order effects of $\ensuremath{\mid}{r}_{s}\ensuremath{\mid}$ are independent of the cutoff in this regime. We also discuss the implications of our results for experiments that probe three-body recombination in Bose-Einstein condensates near a Feshbach resonance.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.79.022702

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A nonrelativistic system of three identical particles will display a rich set of universal features known as Efimov physics if the scattering length aaa is much larger than the range lll of the underlying two-body interaction. An appropriate effective theory facilitates the derivation of both results in the \ensuremath∣a\ensuremath∣\ensuremath→\ensuremath∞\ensuremath{\mid}a\ensuremath{\mid}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}\ensuremath∣a\ensuremath∣\ensuremath→\ensuremath∞ limit and finite-l∕al∕al∕a corrections to observables of interest. Here we use such an effective-theory treatment to consider the impact of corrections linear in the two-body effective range, rs{r}_{s}rs​, on the three-boson bound-state spectrum and recombination rate for \ensuremath∣a\ensuremath∣⪢\ensuremath∣rs\ensuremath∣\ensuremath{\mid}a\ensuremath{\mid}⪢\ensuremath{\mid}{r}_{s}\ensuremath{\mid}\ensuremath∣a\ensuremath∣⪢\ensuremath∣rs​\ensuremath∣. We do this by first deriving results appropriate to the strict limit \ensuremath∣a\ensuremath∣\ensuremath→\ensuremath∞\ensuremath{\mid}a\ensuremath{\mid}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}\ensuremath∣a\ensuremath∣\ensuremath→\ensuremath∞ in coordinate space. We then extend these results to finite aaa using once-subtracted momentum-space integral equations. We take the cutoff on these equations to be large compared to 1∕\ensuremath∣rs\ensuremath∣1∕\ensuremath{\mid}{r}_{s}\ensuremath{\mid}1∕\ensuremath∣rs​\ensuremath∣, and find that the first-order effects of \ensuremath∣rs\ensuremath∣\ensuremath{\mid}{r}_{s}\ensuremath{\mid}\ensuremath∣rs​\ensuremath∣ are independent of the cutoff in this regime. We also discuss the implications of our results for experiments that probe three-body recombination in Bose-Einstein condensates near a Feshbach resonance.
We investigate finite-range effects in systems with three identical bosons. We calculate recombination rates and bound state spectra using two different finite-range models that have been used recently to describe the physics of cold atomic gases near Feshbach resonances where the scattering length is large. The models are built on contact potentials which take into account finite-range effects; one is a two-channel model and the other is an effective range expansion model implemented through the boundary condition on the three-body wavefunction when two of the particles are at the same point in space. We compare the results with the results of the ubiquitous single-parameter zero-range model where only the scattering length is taken into account. Both finite-range models predict variations of the well-known geometric scaling factor 22.7 that arises in Efimov physics. The threshold value at negative scattering length for creation of a bound trimer moves to higher or lower values depending on the sign of the effective range compared to the location of the threshold for the single-parameter zero-range model. Large effective ranges, corresponding to narrow resonances, are needed for the reduction to have any noticeable effect.
We find that universal three-body physics extends beyond the threshold regime to non-zero energies. For ultracold atomic gases with a negative two-body s-wave scattering length near a Feshbach resonance, we show that the resonant peaks characteristic of Efimov physics persist in three-body recombination to higher collision energies. For this and other inelastic processes, we use the adiabatic hyperspherical representation to derive universal analytical expressions for their dependence on the scattering length, the collision energy and—for narrow resonances—the effective range. These expressions are supported by full numerical solutions of the Schrödinger equation and display log-periodic dependence on energy characteristic of Efimov physics. This dependence is robust and might be used to experimentally observe several Efimov features.
Few-body effects play an important role for the understanding of ultracold quantum gases. We make use of an effective field theory approach to investigate various aspects of universal few-body physics close to a Feshbach resonance. That is the regime where the scattering length is large compared to all other length scales of the system and thus determines the observables. It is also the regime where the Efimov effect whose main characteristic is the occurrence of a sequence of three-body bound states becomes important. At unitarity, i.e., for diverging scattering length, the ratio of binding energies of neighboring states approaches a constant. The existence of those trimers can be captured by a single three-body parameter and influences observables such as recombination rates. Starting from adequate Lagrangians, we derive atom-dimer scattering amplitudes that contain all information of interest about the three-particle systems. With this method, we first investigate the scattering of atoms and dimers at finite temperature in the presence of the Efimov effect. We calculate the dimer relaxation rate and obtain good agreement with available experimental data. Furthermore, heteronuclear mixtures exhibiting large interspecies scattering length are studied in detail. If bosons are the majority species, the Efimov effect occurs in an S-wave channel and we are able to compute three-body recombination and dimer relaxation rates. The results are compared to the outcome of two existing experiments. For mainly fermionic systems, the Efimov effect is only present in an overall P-wave and three-body recombination at threshold vanishes. However, in mixtures of atoms and dimers, scattering cross sections and dimer relaxation show the typical Efimov behavior of log-periodicity. We also consider two-dimensional Bose gases, where the Efimov effect does not occur. For those systems, we derive an equation including the first non-universal corrections and deduce three-body observables such as binding energies and atom-dimer scattering parameters.
We use an effective-field-theory framework to analyze the Efimov effect in heteronuclear three-body systems consisting of two species of atoms with a large interspecies scattering length. In the leading-order description of this theory, various three-body observables in heteronuclear mixtures can be universally parametrized by one three-body parameter. We present the next-to-leading corrections, which include the effects of the finite interspecies effective range and the finite intraspecies scattering length, to various three-body observables. We show that only one additional three-body parameter is required to render the theory predictive at this order. By including the effective range and intraspecies scattering length corrections, we derive a set of universal relations that connect the different Efimov features near the interspecies Feshbach resonance. Furthermore, we show that these relations can be interpreted in terms of the running of the three-body counterterms that naturally emerge from proper renormalization. Finally, we make predictions for recombination observables of a number of atomic systems that are of experimental interest.
We consider a system of three identical bosons near a Feshbach resonance in the universal regime with large scattering length usually described by model-independent zero-range potentials. We employ the adiabatic hyperspherical approximation and derive the rigorous large-distance equation for the adiabatic potential for finite-range interactions. The effective range correction to the zero-range approximation must be supplemented by a new term of the same order. The nonadiabatic term can be decisive. Efimov physics is always confined to the range between effective range and scattering length. The analytical results agree with numerical calculations for realistic potentials.
Three interacting particles form a system which is well known for its complex physical behavior. A landmark theoretical result in few-body quantum physics is Efimov's prediction of a universal set of weakly bound trimer states appearing for three identical bosons with a resonant two-body interaction. Surprisingly, these states even exist in the absence of a corresponding two-body bound state and their precise nature is largely independent of the particular type of the two-body interaction potential. Efimov's scenario has attracted great interest in many areas of physics; an experimental test however has not been achieved. We report the observation of an Efimov resonance in an ultracold thermal gas of cesium atoms. The resonance occurs in the range of large negative two-body scattering lengths and arises from the coupling of three free atoms to an Efimov trimer. We observe its signature as a giant three-body recombination loss when the strength of the two-body interaction is varied near a Feshbach resonance. This resonance develops into a continuum resonance at non-zero collision energies, and we observe a shift of the resonance position as a function of temperature. We also report on a minimum in the recombination loss for positive scattering lengths, indicating destructive interference of decay pathways. Our results confirm central theoretical predictions of Efimov physics and represent a starting point from which to explore the universal properties of resonantly interacting few-body systems.