Session I4: Ultracold Scattering and Interactions

8:00 AM–10:24 AM, Thursday, May 29, 2008
Nittany Lion Inn Room: Ballroom AB

Chair: Marjatta Lyyra, Temple University

Abstract ID: BAPS.2008.DAMOP.I4.5

Abstract: I4.00005 : Few-body physics with ultracold Cs atoms and molecules

8:48 AM–9:00 AM

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Authors:

  Steven Knoop
    (Inst. of Experimental Physics and Center for Quantum Physics, Univ. Innsbruck; 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

  Francesca Ferlaino
    (Inst. of Experimental Physics and Center for Quantum Physics, Univ. Innsbruck; 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

  Martin Berninger
    (Inst. of Experimental Physics and Center for Quantum Physics, Univ. Innsbruck; 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

  Michael Mark
    (Inst. of Experimental Physics and Center for Quantum Physics, Univ. Innsbruck; 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

  Hanns-Christoph Naegerl
    (Inst. of Experimental Physics and Center for Quantum Physics, Univ. Innsbruck; 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

  Rudolf Grimm
    (Inst. of Experimental Physics and Center for Quantum Physics, Univ. Innsbruck; 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

Ultracold atomic gases are versatile systems to study few-body physics because of full control over the external and internal degrees of freedom and the magnetic tunability of the scattering properties using Feshbach resonances. Here we experimentally study three- and four-body physics by investigating ultracold (30-250 nK) atom-dimer and dimer-dimer collisions with Cs Feshbach molecules in various molecular states and Cs atoms in different hyperfine states. Resonant enhancement of the atom-dimer relaxation rate is observed in a system of three identical bosons and interpreted as being induced by a trimer state, possibly an Efimov state. A strong magnetic field dependence of the relaxation rate is also observed when the atoms are transferred to a different hyperfine sublevel. For dimer-dimer collisions we have observed a suppression of the collisional loss rate.

To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2008.DAMOP.I4.5