Work

Ultralong-Range Rydberg Bimolecules

Year: 2021

Type: article

Abstract: We predict that ultralong-range Rydberg bimolecules form in collisions between polar molecules in cold and ultracold settings. The interaction of Λ-doublet nitric oxide (NO) with long-lived Rydberg NO(nf, ng) molecules forms ultralong-range Rydberg bimolecules with GHz energies and kilo-Debye permanent electric dipole moments. The Hamiltonian includes both the anisotropic charge-molecular dipole interaction and the electron-NO scattering. The rotational constant for the Rydberg bimolecules is in the MHz range, allowing for microwave spectroscopy of rotational transitions in Rydberg bimolecules. Considerable orientation of NO dipole can be achieved. The Rydberg molecules described here hold promise for studies of a special class of long-range bimolecular interactions.

Source: Physical Review Letters

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.126.043401

Authors: Rosario González-Férez, Janine Shertzer, H. R. Sadeghpour

Institutions: Harvard University, Universidad de Granada, Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian, College of the Holy Cross

Language: English

Topic: Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: Harvard University, Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Universität Stuttgart

Award: G3599505582