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arXiv:cond-mat/0611047 · Physical Review A

Collisional decay of Rb87 Feshbach molecules at 1005.8G

Niels Syassen, Thomas Volz, S. Teichmann, Stephan Dürr, Gerhard Rempe

Published Dec 13, 2006• 31 citations
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Abstract

We present measurements of the loss-rate coefficients ${K}_{\mathit{am}}$ and ${K}_{\mathit{mm}}$ caused by inelastic atom-molecule and molecule-molecule collisions. A thermal cloud of atomic $^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ is prepared in an optical dipole trap. A magnetic field is ramped across the Feshbach resonance at $1007.4\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{G}$. This associates atom pairs to molecules. A measurement of the molecule loss at $1005.8\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{G}$ yields ${K}_{\mathit{am}}=2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}∕\mathrm{s}$. Additionally, the atoms can be removed with blast light. In this case, the measured molecule loss yields ${K}_{\mathit{mm}}=3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}∕\mathrm{s}$.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.74.062706

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