Nonadiabatically Driven Quantum Interference Effects in the Ultracold K + KRb → Rb + K2 Chemical Reaction
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: chemical reaction is the first ultracold atom-diatom chemical reaction for which experimental results have been reported for temperatures below 1 μK more than a decade ago. The reaction occurs through coupling with an excited electronic state that is accessible even in the ultracold limit. A previous quantum dynamics study, excluding nonadiabatic effects, has reported a rate coefficient that is about 35% below the experimental value. Here, we report the first nonadiabatic quantum dynamics study of this reaction and obtain rate coefficients in better agreement with experiments. Our results show that short-range dynamics mediated by coupling with the excited electronic state introduces quantum interference effects that influence both the state-to-state rate coefficients and the overall reaction rates.
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,500
Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative, Division of Physics, Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Army Research Office, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Awards: G1017065088, G1279347439, G1453181110, Track 4: Advanced CI Coordination Ecosystem: Monitoring and Measurement Services, G2279853913, G2799703414, G3105779485, G3562386289, BSM-PM: Comprehensive Theoretical Modeling of Novel Molecular Sensor Based on Ultracold 223FrAg Molecules in Search for CP-violating Forces, Stereodynamic Control of Cold Molecular Collisions, G3927959030, G3993056153, Track 1: ACCESS Resource Allocations Marketplace and Platform Services (RAMPS), G4010157413, G4606614061, G461821800, ACO: An Open CI Ecosystem to Advance Scientific Discovery (OpenCI), Track 3: COre National Ecosystem for CyberinfrasTructure (CONECT), G5098925467, G5367127336, G5464919783, G608057831, Quantum Stereodynamics of Cold Molecular Collisions, G6247045938, G6365035500, G6410514744, G6563880843, G6893037978, G6910232217, G70659677, G7452299184, G754761654, Track 2: Customized Multi-tier Assistance, Training, and Computational Help (MATCH) for End User ACCESS to CI, G8415477955, G891378694
OpenAlex ID: W4411203962