Controlling ultracold chemical reactions via Rydberg-dressed interactions

POSTER

Abstract

Chemical reactions in the cold and ultracold temperature regimes are sensitive to the long-range interaction between reactants. This is especially the case when there is a weakly bound state near the collision threshold. Altering the long-range potential provides a tool to control the chemical reaction by shifting the position of near threshold bound states. In this work, we study the effect of Rydberg-dressing a reactant, which can be accomplished experimentally by weakly coupling its ground state to a Rydberg state using a strongly detuned laser. This leads to an enhancement in the effective polarizability of the reactant and hence a modification of the long-range interaction. We theoretically investigate this effect in the benchmark system H$_2$+D, and carry out a full quantum mechanical scattering calculation for the reaction rates.

*Partially supported by the US Department of Energy Office of Basic Sciences.

Authors

  • Jia Wang

    • Department of Physics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA

  • Jason Byrd

    • Department of Physics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA
    • University of Connecticut Department of Physics

  • I. Simbotin

    • Department of Physics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA
    • University of Connecticut

  • Robin Cote

    • Department of Physics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA
    • University of Connecticut
    • Dept. of Physics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
    • University of Connecticut Department of Physics