Efimov physics in 6Li atoms

ORAL

Abstract

A new narrow three-atom loss resonance associated with an Efimov trimer crossing the three-atom threshold has recently been discovered in a many-body system of ultracold 6Li atoms in the three lowest hyperfine spin states at a magnetic field near 895 G. O'Hara and coworkers have used measurements of the three-body recombination rate in this region to determine the complex three-body parameter associated with Efimov physics. Using this parameter as the input, we calculate the universal predictions for the spectrum of Efimov states and for the three-body recombination rate in the universal region above 600 G where all three scattering lengths are large. We predict an atom-dimer loss resonance at 672 $\pm$2 G associated with an Efimov trimer disappearing through an atom-dimer threshold. We also predict an interference minimum in the three-body recombination rate at 759 $\pm$1 G where the three-spin mixture may be sufficiently stable to allow experimental study of the many-body system.

*supported in part by the DOE under Grants DE-FG02-05ER15715 and DE-FC02-07ER41457, by a joint Grant from AFOSR and ARO, by the NSF under Grant PHY-0653312, by the BMBF under Contracts 06BN411 and 06BN9006, and by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Authors

  • Daekyoung Kang

    • The Ohio State University
  • Eric Braaten

    • The Ohio State University
  • Hans-Werner Hammer

    • Universitaet Bonn
  • Lucas Platter

    • University of Washington