Ultracold collisions of the lithium monoxide radical

TL;DR

This paper investigates ultracold LiO molecule collisions under magnetic and electric fields, showing suppression of inelastic collisions and potential for quantum degeneracy or Bose-Einstein condensation.

Contribution

It provides the first analysis of ultracold LiO collisions, demonstrating control over inelastic processes and feasibility for quantum gas experiments.

Findings

Inelastic collisions are suppressed by modest external fields.

Elastic collision rates support thermalization.

Conditions may allow molecular Bose-Einstein condensation.

Abstract

Ultracold collisions of LiO molecules in the $^{2}\Pi_{3/2}$ ground state are considered, under the influence of either an external magnetic or electric field. Inelastic collisions are shown to be suppressed in the presence of modest laboratory strength magnetic and electric fields. The rate of elastic collisions that rethermalize the thermal distribution, and the corresponding low rate of heating state-changing collisions, suggest that quantum degeneracy or even molecular Bose-Einstein condensation of LiO gas may be attainable, provided that the initial temperatures in the milliKelvin range are achievable.