Universal resonant ultracold molecular scattering

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that ultracold bosonic polar molecules exhibit universal scattering behaviors at very low temperatures, independent of molecular species, due to long-range dipole interactions, with predictable resonances and cross sections.

Contribution

It reveals universal scattering properties and resonances in ultracold polar molecules, providing theoretical predictions for experimental observation.

Findings

Universal scattering cross sections are independent of molecular species.

Threshold resonances occur at specific electric field strengths.

Predicted temperature and density conditions for observing universal behavior.

Abstract

The elastic scattering amplitudes of indistinguishable, bosonic, strongly-polar molecules possess universal properties at the coldest temperatures due to wave propagation in the long-range dipole-dipole field. Universal scattering cross sections and anisotropic threshold angular distributions, independent of molecular species, result from careful tuning of the dipole moment with an applied electric field. Three distinct families of threshold resonances also occur for specific field strengths, and can be both qualitatively and quantitatively predicted using elementary adiabatic and semi-classical techniques. The temperatures and densities of heteronuclear molecular gases required to observe these univeral characteristics are predicted. PACS numbers: 34.50.Cx, 31.15.ap, 33.15.-e, 34.20.-b