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Physical Review Letters

Quantum Scattering in a Juggling Atomic Fountain

Ronald Legere, Kurt Gibble

Published Dec 28, 1998• 106 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We demonstrate a juggling atomic fountain by launching two laser-cooled balls of ${}^{133}\mathrm{Cs}$ atoms in rapid succession. The atoms collide near the top of the fountain and, by varying the delay between launches, we scan the collision energy from 19 to $150\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$. We measure the differential scattering cross section and isolate the contributions from different partial waves including their interferences. We observe the $s$-wave energy dependence and the $p$-wave scattering threshold. We infer a triplet $s$-wave scattering length of ${\ensuremath{-}400a}_{0}$ and a $p$ wave of $({\ensuremath{-}107a}_{0}{)}^{3}$ for $|F\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}4,m\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}4〉+|3,3〉$.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.81.5780

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We demonstrate a juggling atomic fountain by launching two laser-cooled balls of 133Cs{}^{133}\mathrm{Cs}133Cs atoms in rapid succession. The atoms collide near the top of the fountain and, by varying the delay between launches, we scan the collision energy from 19 to 150\ensuremathμK150\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}150\ensuremathμK. We measure the differential scattering cross section and isolate the contributions from different partial waves including their interferences. We observe the sss-wave energy dependence and the ppp-wave scattering threshold. We infer a triplet sss-wave scattering length of \ensuremath−400a0{\ensuremath{-}400a}_{0}\ensuremath−400a0​ and a ppp wave of (\ensuremath−107a0)3({\ensuremath{-}107a}_{0}{)}^{3}(\ensuremath−107a0​)3 for ∣F=4,m=4〉+∣3,3〉|F\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}4,m\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}4〉+|3,3〉∣F=4,m=4〉+∣3,3〉.
Summary form only given. We juggle atoms in an atomic fountain by launching 2 balls of laser-cooled Cs atoms in rapid succession. The 2 balls collide near the top of the fountain and we detect the scattered atoms by measuring the changes in the atoms vertical velocity. Measuring the distribution of the velocity component along the collision axis gives the differential cross section. We scan the collision energy E/sub c/ by varying the time delay between launches and get the differential cross sections as a function of energy.
We report on the direct imaging of s and d partial-wave interference in cold collisions of atoms. Two ultracold clouds of 87Rb atoms were accelerated by magnetic fields to collide at energies near a d-wave shape resonance. The resulting halos of scattered particles were imaged using laser absorption. By scanning across the resonance we observed a marked evolution of the scattering patterns due to the energy dependent phase shifts for the interfering s and d waves. Since only two partial-wave states are involved in the collision process the scattering yield and angular distributions have a simple interpretation in terms of a theoretical model.