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:cond-mat/0407579 · Physical Review A

Scattering properties of weakly bound dimers of fermionic atoms

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

Published Jan 14, 2005• 190 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

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.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.71.012708

Related papers

Weakly Bound Dimers of Fermionic Atoms

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

We discuss the behavior of weakly bound bosonic dimers formed in a two-component cold Fermi gas at a large positive scattering length a for the interspecies interaction. We find the exact solution for the dimer-dimer elastic scattering and obtain a strong decrease of their collisional relaxation and decay with increasing a. The large ratio of the elastic to inelastic rate is promising for achieving Bose-Einstein condensation of the dimers and cooling the condensed gas to very low temperatures.

arXiv:cond-mat/0309010•Physical Review Letters•Aug 24, 2004•642 citations

Trimer formation in ultracold gases of bosonic and fermionic molecules

Bout Marcelis, Dmitry S. Petrov, S. J. J. M. F. Kokkelmans +1 more

We consider weakly bound bosonic and fermionic heteronuclear molecules (dimers) in ultracold atomic gases, where the interspecies interaction is characterized by a large positive scattering length. We develop a new theoretical approach to solve the four-body scattering problem, which is valid when the mass ratio between the constituent atoms is sufficiently large. This approach is then used to study elastic and inelastic dimer- dimer scattering processes in the case that the light constituent atoms are fermions, while the heavy atoms can be either fermions or bosons. Due to the Fermi statistics of the light atoms, the heavy atoms experience a strong repulsion at large intermolecular distances. This leads to suppression of the collisional relaxation to universal trimer (Efimov) states and/or deeply bound molecular states. We present the formation rate of Efimov trimers as a function of the three-body parameter for several experimentally interesting systems. The competition between the formation of trimers and relaxation to deeply bound molecules is analyzed, and prospects for future studies of these systems are discussed.

•Jun 1, 2007•0 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

Dimer-dimer collisions at finite energies in two-component Fermi gases

José Paulo D'Incao, Seth T. Rittenhouse, Nirav P. Mehta +1 more

We discuss a major theoretical generalization of existing techniques for handling the three-body problem that accurately describes the interactions among four fermionic atoms. Application to a two-component Fermi gas accurately determines dimer-dimer scattering parameters at finite energies and can give deeper insight into the corresponding many-body phenomena. To account for finite temperature effects, we calculate the energy-dependent complex dimer-dimer scattering length, which includes contributions from elastic and inelastic collisions. Our results indicate that strong finite-energy effects and dimer dissociation are crucial for understanding the physics in the strongly interacting regime for typical experimental conditions. While our results for dimer-dimer relaxation are consistent with experiment, they confirm only partially a previously published theoretical result.

arXiv:0806.3062•Physical Review A•Mar 11, 2009•30 citations

Ultracold atom-molecule collisions with fermionic atoms

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

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.

arXiv:0802.2553•Physical Review A•May 19, 2008•24 citations

Three fully polarized fermions close to a p-wave Feshbach resonance

M. Jona-Lasinio, Ludovic Pricoupenko, Yvan Castin

We study the three-body problem for three atomic fermions, in the same spin state, experiencing a resonant interaction in the p-wave channel via a Feshbach resonance represented by a two-channel model. The rate of inelastic processes due to recombination to deeply bound dimers is then estimated from the three-body solution using a simple prescription. We obtain numerical and analytical predictions for most of the experimentally relevant quantities that can be extracted from the three-body solution: the existence of weakly bound trimers and their lifetime, the low-energy elastic and inelastic scattering properties of an atom on a weakly bound dimer (including the atom-dimer scattering length and scattering volume), and the recombination rates for three colliding atoms towards weakly bound and deeply bound dimers. The effect of "background" non-resonant interactions in the open channel of the two-channel model is also calculated and allows to determine which three-body quantities are `universal' and which on the contrary depend on the details of the model.

arXiv:0708.0610•Aug 4, 2007•47 citations
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.
We consider weakly bound bosonic and fermionic heteronuclear molecules (dimers) in ultracold atomic gases, where the interspecies interaction is characterized by a large positive scattering length. We develop a new theoretical approach to solve the four-body scattering problem, which is valid when the mass ratio between the constituent atoms is sufficiently large. This approach is then used to study elastic and inelastic dimer- dimer scattering processes in the case that the light constituent atoms are fermions, while the heavy atoms can be either fermions or bosons. Due to the Fermi statistics of the light atoms, the heavy atoms experience a strong repulsion at large intermolecular distances. This leads to suppression of the collisional relaxation to universal trimer (Efimov) states and/or deeply bound molecular states. We present the formation rate of Efimov trimers as a function of the three-body parameter for several experimentally interesting systems. The competition between the formation of trimers and relaxation to deeply bound molecules is analyzed, and prospects for future studies of these systems are discussed.
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 discuss a major theoretical generalization of existing techniques for handling the three-body problem that accurately describes the interactions among four fermionic atoms. Application to a two-component Fermi gas accurately determines dimer-dimer scattering parameters at finite energies and can give deeper insight into the corresponding many-body phenomena. To account for finite temperature effects, we calculate the energy-dependent complex dimer-dimer scattering length, which includes contributions from elastic and inelastic collisions. Our results indicate that strong finite-energy effects and dimer dissociation are crucial for understanding the physics in the strongly interacting regime for typical experimental conditions. While our results for dimer-dimer relaxation are consistent with experiment, they confirm only partially a previously published theoretical result.
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.
We study the three-body problem for three atomic fermions, in the same spin state, experiencing a resonant interaction in the p-wave channel via a Feshbach resonance represented by a two-channel model. The rate of inelastic processes due to recombination to deeply bound dimers is then estimated from the three-body solution using a simple prescription. We obtain numerical and analytical predictions for most of the experimentally relevant quantities that can be extracted from the three-body solution: the existence of weakly bound trimers and their lifetime, the low-energy elastic and inelastic scattering properties of an atom on a weakly bound dimer (including the atom-dimer scattering length and scattering volume), and the recombination rates for three colliding atoms towards weakly bound and deeply bound dimers. The effect of "background" non-resonant interactions in the open channel of the two-channel model is also calculated and allows to determine which three-body quantities are `universal' and which on the contrary depend on the details of the model.