Quantum few-body bound states of dipolar particles in a helical geometry

TL;DR

This paper investigates the quantum bound states of dipolar particles confined to a helical geometry, revealing how their long-range interactions lead to chain-like configurations and specific bound state spectra.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum model of dipoles on a helix, calculating bound states and wave functions, highlighting the formation of chain-like structures due to dipole interactions.

Findings

Bound states exhibit chain-like arrangements along the helix.

Oscillating effective potentials influence the spectrum.

Dipole interactions favor head-to-tail configurations.

Abstract

We study a quantum mechanical system consisting of up to three identical dipoles confined to move along a helical shaped trap. The long-range interactions between particles confined to move in this one dimension leads to an interesting effective two-particle potential with an oscillating behaviour. For this system we calculate the spectrum and the wave functions of the bound states. The full quantum solutions show clear imprints of the tendency for the system to form chains of dipoles along the helix, i.e. a configuration in which the dipoles are sitting approximately one winding of the helix apart so that they can take maximal advantage of the strong head-to-tail attraction that is a generic feature of the dipole-dipole interaction.