Production of Quantum Degenerate Mixtures of Alkali and Alkaline-Earth-Like Atoms

The authors report the production of a quantum degenerate mixture of alkali-metal ${}^{6}$ Li and alkaline-earth-metal ${}^{84}$ Sr atoms in a far-off-resonant optical dipole trap. The results could pave the way for studying lithium-strontium polar molecules.The authors report the production of a quantum degenerate mixture of alkali-metal ${}^{6}$Li and alkaline-earth-metal ${}^{84}$Sr atoms in a far-off-resonant optical dipole trap. The results could pave the way for studying lithium-strontium polar molecules.

arXiv:2006.15654Physical Review ASep 8, 202018 citations

Formation of quantum-degenerate sodium molecules

Takashi Mukaiyama

Jan 1, 20030 citations

Quantum Degenerate Mixtures of Alkali and Alkaline-Earth-Like Atoms

Hideaki Hara, Yosuke Takasu, Yoshifumi Yamaoka +2 more

We realize simultaneous quantum degeneracy in mixtures consisting of the alkali and alkaline-earth-like atoms Li and Yb. This is accomplished within an optical trap by sympathetic cooling of the fermionic isotope $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ with evaporatively cooled bosonic $^{174}\mathrm{Yb}$ and, separately, fermionic $^{173}\mathrm{Yb}$ . Using cross-thermalization studies, we also measure the elastic $s$ -wave scattering lengths of both Li-Yb combinations, $|{a}_{^{6}\mathrm{Li}\ensuremath{-}^{174}\mathrm{Yb}}|=1.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{nm}$ and $|{a}_{^{6}\mathrm{Li}\ensuremath{-}^{173}\mathrm{Yb}}|=0.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{nm}$. The equality of these lengths is found to be consistent with mass-scaling analysis. The quantum degenerate mixtures of Li and Yb, as realized here, can be the basis for creation of ultracold molecules with electron spin degrees of freedom, studies of novel Efimov trimers, and impurity probes of superfluid systems.We realize simultaneous quantum degeneracy in mixtures consisting of the alkali and alkaline-earth-like atoms Li and Yb. This is accomplished within an optical trap by sympathetic cooling of the fermionic isotope $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ with evaporatively cooled bosonic $^{174}\mathrm{Yb}$ and, separately, fermionic $^{173}\mathrm{Yb}$. Using cross-thermalization studies, we also measure the elastic $s$-wave scattering lengths of both Li-Yb combinations, $|{a}_{^{6}\mathrm{Li}\ensuremath{-}^{174}\mathrm{Yb}}|=1.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{nm}$ and $|{a}_{^{6}\mathrm{Li}\ensuremath{-}^{173}\mathrm{Yb}}|=0.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{nm}$. The equality of these lengths is found to be consistent with mass-scaling analysis. The quantum degenerate mixtures of Li and Yb, as realized here, can be the basis for creation of ultracold molecules with electron spin degrees of freedom, studies of novel Efimov trimers, and impurity probes of superfluid systems.

arXiv:1104.4430Physical Review LettersMay 19, 2011158 citations

The authors report the production of a quantum degenerate mixture of alkali-metal

{}^{6}

Li and alkaline-earth-metal

{}^{84}

Sr atoms in a far-off-resonant optical dipole trap. The results could pave the way for studying lithium-strontium polar molecules.

^{6}\mathrm{Li}

with evaporatively cooled bosonic

^{174}\mathrm{Yb}

and, separately, fermionic

^{173}\mathrm{Yb}

. Using cross-thermalization studies, we also measure the elastic

s

-wave scattering lengths of both Li-Yb combinations, $|{a}_{^{6}\mathrm{Li}\ensuremath{-}^{174}\mathrm{Yb}}|=1.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{nm}$ and $|{a}_{^{6}\mathrm{Li}\ensuremath{-}^{173}\mathrm{Yb}}|=0.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{nm}$. The equality of these lengths is found to be consistent with mass-scaling analysis. The quantum degenerate mixtures of Li and Yb, as realized here, can be the basis for creation of ultracold molecules with electron spin degrees of freedom, studies of novel Efimov trimers, and impurity probes of superfluid systems.