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Feshbach Resonances in p-Wave Three-Body Recombination within Fermi-Fermi Mixtures of Open-Shell 6Li and Closed-Shell
Alaina Green1, Hui Li2, Jun Hui See Toh1
1Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
Physical Review. X
|August 19, 2021
Summary
We observed magnetic Feshbach resonances in ultracold, mass-imbalanced lithium-6 and ytterbium-173 atoms. These resonances are dominated by unique p-wave three-body recombination processes, offering insights into quantum superfluidity.
Area of Science:
- Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
- Quantum Many-Body Systems
- Ultracold Atomic Gases
Background:
- Ultracold atomic Fermi-Fermi mixtures provide a unique platform for studying quantum phenomena.
- Mass-imbalanced mixtures present distinct challenges and opportunities for exploring many-body physics.
- Feshbach resonances are crucial tools for controlling interactions in ultracold atomic gases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate magnetic Feshbach resonances in a Fermi-Fermi mixture of 6Li and 173Yb with extreme mass imbalance.
- To characterize the unique p-wave dominated three-body recombination processes in this system.
- To explore the potential applications in forming ultracold molecules and simulating quantum superfluidity.
Main Methods:
- Experimental observation of Feshbach resonances in a spin-polarized mixture of 6Li and 173Yb atoms.
- Precise temperature control (1-20 microK) and magnetic field application.
- Comparison of experimental data with theoretical models for three-body recombination.
Main Results:
- Observation of magnetic Feshbach resonances solely due to hyperfine coupling between 6Li and 173Yb.
- Three-body recombination rates are governed by the identical fermion nature, despite s-wave collisions.
- Experimental and theoretical line shapes confirm p-wave dominance in recombination, independent of temperature.
Conclusions:
- The observed Feshbach resonances and p-wave recombination provide a new avenue for quantum simulation.
- This system can be utilized to create ultracold doublet ground-state molecules.
- The findings offer a pathway to simulate quantum superfluidity in mass-imbalanced Fermi-Fermi mixtures.
Keywords:
Atomic and Molecular Physics
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