Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2025

Measurement of Ultrafast Vibrational Coherences in Polyatomic Radical Cations with Strong-Field Adiabatic Ionization
Published on: August 6, 2018
Nonadiabatically Driven Quantum Interference Effects in the Ultracold K + KRb → Rb + K2 Chemical Reaction
H da Silva1, B K Kendrick2, H Li3
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, United States.
None:
The K + KRb → Rb + K2 chemical reaction is the first ultracold atom-diatom chemical reaction for which experimental results have been reported for temperatures below 1 μK more than a decade ago. The reaction occurs through coupling with an excited electronic state that is accessible even in the ultracold limit. A previous quantum dynamics study, excluding nonadiabatic effects, has reported a rate coefficient that is about 35% below the experimental value. Here, we report the first nonadiabatic quantum dynamics study of this reaction and obtain rate coefficients in better agreement with experiments. Our results show that short-range dynamics mediated by coupling with the excited electronic state introduces quantum interference effects that influence both the state-to-state rate coefficients and the overall reaction rates.
Related Concept Videos
Inductive Effects on Chemical Shift: Overview
π Electron Effects on Chemical Shift: Overview
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Population Distribution
The de Broglie Wavelength
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Interference
Spectral interference occurs when signals from other elements or molecules overlap with the analyte signal, falsely elevating or masking the analyte's absorbance. This interference can be corrected using Zeeman,...
¹H NMR: Interpreting Distorted and Overlapping Signals
As Δν decreases and the signals move closer, the doublets appear increasingly distorted. The intensities of the inner lines increase at the cost of those of the outer lines as the signals are...

