Zeeman relaxation induced by spin-orbit coupling in cold antimony-helium collisions
Author(s)
Connolly, Colin B.; Au, Yat Shan; Chae, Eunmi; Tscherbul, Timur V.; Buchachenko, Alexei A.; Ketterle, Wolfgang; Doyle, John M.; ... Show more Show less
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We investigate Zeeman relaxation in cold Sb([superscript 4]S[subscript 3/2]∘)–He collisions in a magnetic field. Ensembles of >10[superscript 13] laser-ablated Sb atoms are cooled in cryogenic [superscript 4]He buffer gas to 800 mK and inelastic collisions are observed to equilibrate the m[subscript J]-state distribution to the translational temperature. The ratio γ of momentum transfer to inelastic collision rates is measured to be ⩽9.1×10[superscript 2]. We also perform quantum scattering calculations of Sb–[superscript 4]He collisions, based on ab initio interaction potentials, that demonstrate significant anisotropy of the ground state induced by the spin-orbit interaction. Agreement is obtained between theory and experiment with a ≈10% increase in the ab initio potential depth. This work suggests that buffer-gas-cooled pnictogen atoms lighter than Sb can be loaded into a magnetic trap.
Date issued
2013-07Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics; MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold AtomsJournal
Physical Review A
Publisher
American Physical Society
Citation
Connolly, Colin B., Yat Shan Au, Eunmi Chae, Timur V. Tscherbul, Alexei A. Buchachenko, Wolfgang Ketterle, and John M. Doyle. “Zeeman relaxation induced by spin-orbit coupling in cold antimony-helium collisions.” Physical Review A 88, no. 1 (July 2013). © 2013 American Physical Society
Version: Final published version
ISSN
1050-2947
1094-1622