Field-induced quantum interference of inelastic scattering in ultracold atomic collisions

TL;DR

This paper proposes a method using combined radio-frequency and static electric fields to induce and observe quantum interference effects in inelastic ultracold atomic collisions, validated through calculations on lithium-potassium systems.

Contribution

It introduces a novel 'ring-coupling' configuration to enable detectable quantum interference in inelastic scattering, advancing control over ultracold collision processes.

Findings

Interference patterns in two-body loss rates can be controlled with external fields.

Constructive and destructive interference observed near p-wave resonance.

External field intensity enhances interference visibility.

Abstract

xploiting quantum interference remains a significant challenge in ultracold inelastic scattering. In this work, we propose a method to enable detectable quantum interference within the two-body loss rate resulting from various inelastic scattering channels. Our approach utilizes a ``ring-coupling" configuration, achieved by combining external radio-frequency and static electric fields during ultracold atomic collisions. We conduct close-coupling calculations for $^7$Li-$^{41}$K collisions at ultracold limit to validate our proposal. The results show that the interference profile displayed in two-body loss rate is unable to be observed with unoptimized external field parameters. Particularly, our findings demonstrate that the two-body loss rate coefficient exhibits distinct constructive and destructive interference patterns near the magnetically induced $p$-wave resonance in the incoming channel near which a rf-induced scattering resonance exists. These interference patterns become increasingly pronounced with greater intensities of the external fields. This work opens a new avenue for controlling inelastic scattering processes in ultracold collisions.