Repeating head-on collisions in an optical trap and the evaluation of spin-dependent interactions among neutral particles

TL;DR

This paper proposes a method using repeated head-on collisions in an optical trap to amplify and detect weak spin-dependent interactions among neutral particles, enabling better characterization of such forces.

Contribution

It introduces a novel experimental design that accumulates weak interactions through repeated collisions, allowing for the detection and analysis of previously elusive spin-dependent forces.

Findings

Cr-Cr interaction can be determined using this method

Weak interactions are amplified through repeated collisions

The approach is applicable to various neutral atom and molecule interactions

Abstract

A dynamic process of repeating collisions of a pair of trapped neutral particles with weak spin-dependent interaction is designed and studied. Related theoretical derivation and numerical calculation have been performed to study the inherent coordinate-spin and momentum-spin correlation. Due to the repeating collisions the effect of the weak interaction can be accumulated and enlarged, and therefore can be eventually detected. Numerical results suggest that the Cr-Cr interaction, which has not yet been completely clear, could be thereby determined. The design can be in general used to determine various interactions among neutral atoms and molecules, in particular for the determination of very weak forces.