1301.3566 (Tout T. Wang et al.)

Deviation from Universality in Collisions of Ultracold $^6$Li$_2$
Molecules    [PDF]

Tout T. Wang, Myoung-Sun Heo, Timur M. Rvachov, Dylan A. Cotta, Wolfgang Ketterle

Collisions of $^6$Li$_2$ molecules reveal a striking deviation from universal predictions based on long-range van der Waals interactions. Li$_2$ closed-channel molecules are formed in the highest vibrational state near a narrow Feshbach resonance, and decay via two-body collisions with Li$_2$, Li, and Na. For Li$_2$+Li$_2$ and Li$_2$+Na, the decay rates agree with the universal predictions of the quantum Langevin model. In contrast, the rate for Li$_2$+Li is exceptionally small, with an upper bound ten times smaller than the universal prediction. This can be explained by the low density of available decay states in systems of light atoms [G. Qu\'em\'ener, J.-M. Launay, and P. Honvault, Phys. Rev. A 75, 050701 (2007)], for which such collisions have not been studied before.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1301.3566