Modeling Photoassociative Spectra of Ultracold NaK + K

Area of Science:

• Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
• Quantum Chemistry
• Ultracold Matter

Background:

• Photoassociation is a key technique for creating ultracold molecules from atomic species.
• Understanding atom-molecule interactions is crucial for controlling ultracold chemical reactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a theoretical model for photoassociation of ultracold atoms and molecules.
• To apply the model to the specific system of ³⁹K and ²³Na³⁹K bosonic particles.
• To investigate the energy level structure and photoassociation rates of excited super-dimer complexes.

Main Methods:

• Developed a theoretical model based on long-range atom-molecule interactions.
• Utilized coupled-channel equations to compute the energy level structure in the space-fixed frame.
• Focused laser frequency near a specific bound-bound rovibronic transition to simplify detection.

Main Results:

• Calculated the energy level structure of the long-range ³⁹K···²³Na³⁹K excited super-dimer.
• Obtained a complex and rich energy level structure for the super-dimer.
• Presented the corresponding photoassociation rates for the system.

Conclusions:

• The proposed model accurately describes photoassociation in ultracold bosonic systems.
• The computed energy structure and rates provide insights into the formation of ultracold molecules.
• Further exploration of other photoassociation transitions within this model is warranted.