Prospects of forming high-spin polar molecules from ultracold atoms

TL;DR

This paper explores the formation of high-spin polar molecules from ultracold atoms by investigating Feshbach resonances in collisions involving high-spin and closed-shell atoms, revealing potential for new quantum gas studies.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of Feshbach resonances in high-spin atom collisions, identifying suitable resonances for magnetoassociation of high-spin molecules.

Findings

Many resonances with varying widths found in both anisotropy regimes

Wider resonances suitable for tuning interactions

Narrower resonances ideal for molecule formation

Abstract

We have investigated Feshbach resonances in collisions of high-spin atoms such as Er and Dy with closed-shell atoms such as Sr and Yb, using coupled-channel scattering and bound-state calculations. We consider both low-anisotropy and high-anisotropy limits. In both regimes we find many resonances with a wide variety of widths. The wider resonances are suitable for tuning interatomic interactions, while some of the narrower resonances are highly suitable for magnetoassociation to form high-spin molecules. These molecules might be transferred to short-range states, where they would have large magnetic moments and electric dipole moments that can be induced with very low electric fields. The results offer the opportunity to study mixed quantum gases where one species is dipolar and the other is not, and open up important prospects for a new field of ultracold high-spin polar molecules.