Rydberg cold collisions dominated by ultralong range potential.
In this work we measure the time evolution of the population resulting from energy-transfer collisions as a function of the energy difference between the entrance and exit collisional channels using a sample of cold Rydberg atoms produced in a rubidium magneto-optical trap. The 34S(1/2) population, produced by collisions between atoms in the 33P(3/2) state, is monitored as a function of time through the pulsed-field ionization technique. The experimental results are compared with a recent published model based on a two-body interaction considering an attractive potential [Phys. Rev. A 65, 023405 (2002)]]; which is calculated according to a recent Letter by Boisseau et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 133004 (2002)]]. The agreement is remarkable, which suggests the existence of such ultralong range potential proposed by Boisseau et al.
Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 369, 13560-970, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
A L
AL
de Oliveira
M W
MW
Mancini
V S
VS
Bagnato
L G
LG
Marcassa