Experiments in ultracold collisions

J. Weiner

J. Weiner

Stephen D. Gensemer

A series of experiments investigating ultracold collision dynamics are performed. In particular, I investigate a number of new methods by which lasers may increase or decrease inelastic collision rates. The experiments are performed in a Rb magneto-optical trap (MOT). In addition, the dynamics of excited-ground ultracold collisions are investigated in the temporal domain. Semiclassical simulations of the collision processes are performed to provide a simple, intuitive model for ultracold collisions in the presence of laser light. ^

Paul D. Lett

Research into collisions at ultracold temperatures has revealed new physics and created new spectroscopic techniques. A brief review of ultracold collisions in general and an overview of photoassociation experiments with laser‐cooled Na atoms are given here. These experiments point out some of the interesting and unique features of ultracold collisions and some of the possibilities for their application in high resolution spectroscopy and the manipulation of atomic collisions.

Brett D. Esry, José Paulo D'Incao

We discuss some of our recent work on the near-threshold behavior of ultracold three-body collisions and their relation to a recent experiment [T. Kraemer, et al. , Nature 440 , 315 (2006)]. In particular, we discuss the role of Efimov physics in this experiment and other ultracold collisions and how this role can be understood within the adiabatic hyperspherical representation.

J. Weiner