Exploring atom-ion Feshbach resonances below the s-wave limit

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates control over atom-ion collisions at ultracold temperatures, revealing and characterizing higher partial wave Feshbach resonances, including s-wave and f-wave, through precise electric field tuning.

Contribution

It introduces a method to tune collision energies below the s-wave limit in atom-ion systems and distinguishes between different partial wave resonances with a new theoretical model.

Findings

Observation of an isolated s-wave Feshbach resonance at ultracold energies.

Identification of an open-channel f-wave resonance near the p-wave barrier.

Control over collision energies spanning four orders of magnitude.

Abstract

Revealing the quantum properties of matter requires a high degree of experimental control accompanied by a profound theoretical understanding. At ultracold temperatures, quantities that appear continuous in everyday life, such as the motional angular momentum of two colliding particles, become quantized, leaving a measurable imprint on experimental results. Embedding a single particle within a larger quantum bath at lowest temperatures can result in resonant partial-wave dependent interaction, whose strength near zero energy is dictated by universal threshold scaling laws. Hybrid atom-ion systems have emerged as a novel platform in which a single charged atom in an ultracold bath serves as a well-controlled impurity of variable energy. However, entering the low-energy s-wave regime and exploring the role of higher-partial-wave scattering within has remained an open challenge. Here, we immerse a Barium ion in a cloud of ultracold spin-polarized Lithium atoms, realize tunable collision energies below the s-wave limit and explore resonant higher-partial-wave scattering by studying the energy dependence of Feshbach resonances. Utilizing precise electric field control, we tune the collision energy over four orders of magnitude, reaching from the many-parital-wave to the s-wave regime. At the lowest energies, we probe the energy dependence of an isolated s-wave Feshbach resonance and introduce a theoretical model that allows to distinguish it from higher-partial-wave resonances. Additionally, at energies around the p-wave barrier, we find and identify an open-channel f-wave resonance, consistent with threshold laws. Our findings highlight and benchmark the importance of higher-partial-wave scattering well within the s-wave regime and offer control over chemical reactions and complex many-body dynamics in atom-ion ensembles - on the level of individual angular momentum quanta.