Efimov-van-der-Waals universality for ultracold atoms with positive scattering lengths*

We study the universality of the three-body parameters for systems relevant for ultracold quantum gases with positive $s$-wave two-body scattering lengths. Our results account for finite-range van-der-Waals effects and their universality is tested by changing the number of deeply bound diatomic states supported by our interaction model. We find that the physics controlling the values of the three-body parameters associated with the ground and excited Efimov states is constrained by a variational principle and can be strongly affected by $d$-wave interactions that prevent both trimer states from merging into the atom-dimer continuum. Our results enable comparisons to current experimental data and suggest tests of universality for atomic systems with positive scattering lengths.