Spectroscopic determination of magnetic-field-dependent interactions in an ultracold Yb(3P2)-Li mixture

TL;DR

This study investigates magnetic-field-dependent interactions between ultracold Yb in a metastable state and spin-polarized Li, revealing enhanced inelastic collisions at high fields and no Feshbach resonances, supported by theoretical calculations.

Contribution

First experimental characterization of Yb(3P2)-Li interactions across a broad magnetic field range with spectroscopic analysis and comparison to theory.

Findings

Inelastic collision rates increase significantly at high magnetic fields.

No Feshbach resonances observed in the studied system.

Estimated upper boundary of the background scattering length.

Abstract

We present experimental results on the inelastic and elastic interspecies interactions between ytterbium (Yb) in the metastable ${}^3\mathrm{P}_2$ state loaded into a deep optical lattice and spin polarized lithium (Li) in its ground state. Focusing on the $m_J = 0$ magnetic sublevel of Yb(${}^3\mathrm{P}_2$), bias magnetic fields between 20 G and 800 G are investigated and significantly enhanced inelastic collision rates with high magnetic fields are found. In addition, by direct spectroscopy of the Yb Mott-insulator immersed in the Li Fermi gas an upper boundary of the background scattering length of the Yb(${}^3\mathrm{P}_2, m_J=0$)-Li(${}^2\mathrm{S}_{1/2}, F=1/2, m_F=+1/2$) system is estimated, revealing the absence of useful Feshbach resonances. These observations are qualitatively consistent with the theoretical calculations.