Ultracold collision properties of metastable alkaline-earth atoms.
Ultracold collisions of spin-polarized 24Mg, 40Ca, and 88Sr in the metastable 3P2 excited state are investigated based on molecular potentials obtained from ab initio calculations. We calculate the long-range interaction potentials and estimate the scattering length and the collisional loss rate as a function of magnetic field. The scattering lengths show resonance behavior due to the appearance of a molecular bound state in a purely long-range interaction potential and are positive for magnetic fields below 50 mT. A loss-rate model shows that losses should be smallest near zero magnetic field and for fields slightly larger than the resonance field, where the scattering length is also positive.
Derevianko
Andrei
A
Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA.
Porsev
Sergey G
SG
Kotochigova
Svetlana
S
Tiesinga
Eite
E
Julienne
Paul S
PS