Controlling interactions between highly-magnetic atoms with Feshbach resonances

TL;DR

This paper reviews advances in controlling dipolar quantum gases of highly magnetic atoms using Feshbach resonances, highlighting anisotropic effects and recent experimental progress with Dysprosium and Erbium.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of Feshbach resonances in magnetic atoms, emphasizing anisotropic interactions and recent experimental developments with complex atomic species.

Findings

Distinct resonance distributions in chromium and lanthanide atoms.

Progress in cooling and creating quantum gases of Dysprosium and Erbium.

Insights into collisions involving meta-stable magnetic atoms with spin-orbit coupling.

Abstract

This paper reviews current experimental and theoretical progress in the study of dipolar quantum gases of ground and meta-stable atoms with a large magnetic moment. We emphasize the anisotropic nature of Feshbach resonances due to coupling to fast-rotating resonant molecular states in ultracold s-wave collisions between magnetic atoms in external magnetic fields. The dramatic differences in the distribution of resonances of magnetic $^7$S$_3$ chromium and magnetic lanthanide atoms with a submerged 4f shell and non-zero electron angular momentum is analyzed. We focus on Dysprosium and Erbium as important experimental advances have been recently made to cool and create quantum-degenerate gases for these atoms. Finally, we describe progress in locating resonances in collisions of meta-stable magnetic atoms in electronic P states with ground-state atoms, where an interplay between collisional anisotropies and spin-orbit coupling exists.