Spin-exchange collisions of submerged shell atoms below 1 Kelvin.
Angular momentum changing collisions can be suppressed in atoms whose valence electrons are submerged beneath filled shells of higher principle quantum number. To determine whether spin-exchange collisions are suppressed in these "submerged shell" atoms, we measured collisional rates for six hyperfine states of Mn at T < 1 K. Although the 3d valence electrons in Mn are submerged beneath a filled 4s orbital, we find spin-exchange rate coefficients similar to Na and H (both nonsubmerged shell atoms).
Harris
J G E
JG
Departments of Physics and Applied Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA.
Nguyen
S V
SV
Doret
S C
SC
Ketterle
W
W
Doyle
J M
JM