Dynamical association of Efimov trimers and atom-dimers in cold gases*

The dynamical excitation processes of three-dimensional harmonically trapped three-body systems subjected to time-dependent pulses of magnetic fields are investigated within the hyperspherical framework for zero-range interactions. The pulse characteristics are chosen such that we resonantly associate the first atom-dimer state (above the bare dimer threshold) as well as the Efimov trimer (directly below the threshold) at positive scattering lengths [1]. Following the Ramsey-like protocol of Ref.[1], a second pulse is employed to spectroscopically probe these energy states by measuring the oscillatory behavior of the remaining fraction of atoms during the free evolution in between the two pulses. To gain further insight and understand the various excitation pathways of the Efimov and first atom-dimer states during the entire sequence of pulses a three-level model is developed within perturbation theory.

References:

[1] Y. Yudkin, R. Elbaz, P. Giannakeas, C. H. Greene, and L. Khaykovich, Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 200402 (2019)