Efimov scenario for overlapping narrow Feshbach resonances

TL;DR

This paper develops a realistic model for Efimov physics involving overlapping narrow Feshbach resonances, revealing how their interaction affects Efimov states and facilitates experimental observation.

Contribution

It introduces a mutual coupling model for overlapping narrow Feshbach resonances, extending Efimov physics understanding beyond isolated resonances.

Findings

Efimov states extend over multiple resonance features.

Overlapping resonances shift Efimov features to lower energies.

Rich excitation spectra with identifiable nodal patterns are characterized.

Abstract

While Efimov physics in ultracold atoms is usually modeled with an isolated Feshbach resonance many real world resonances appear in close vicinity to each other and are therefore overlapping. Here we derive a realistic model based on the mutual coupling of an open channel and two closed molecular channels while neglecting short-range physics as permitted by the narrow character of the considered resonances. The model is applied to three distinct scenarios with experimental relevance. We show that the effect of overlapping resonances is manifested most strikingly at a narrow resonance in whose vicinity there is a slightly narrower one. In this system the Efimov ground state extends not only over the scattering length zero crossing between the two resonances but also over the pole of the second resonance to finally meet the dissociation threshold below it. In the opposite scenario, when a narrow resonance is considered in the vicinity of a slightly broader one, we observe that the Efimov features are pushed to lower binding energies and smaller scattering lengths by a significant factor facilitating their experimental investigation. Both scenarios are referenced to the case of two narrow resonances which are far enough away from each other to be effectively decoupled. In this case the two-channel model results are recovered. Finally, we analyze the rich excitation spectrum of the system and construct and explain its nodal pattern.