Structure and interactions of atoms and diatomic molecules: from ultracold gases to doped solids

TL;DR

This paper reviews atomic and molecular structures and interactions, focusing on ultracold gases and doped solids, highlighting calculations and phenomena relevant to ultralow-temperature physics.

Contribution

It provides comprehensive atomic-structure calculations and analysis of long-range interactions in ultracold gases and doped solids, integrating recent research in these areas.

Findings

Atomic-structure calculations for lanthanides and alkali-metal atoms.

Characterization of long-range interactions affecting ultracold phenomena.

Insights into ultralow-temperature processes like photoassociation.

Abstract

This is the manuscript of my "Habilitation \`a diriger des recherches", where I present the research work that I have done after my PhD, defended in 2009. The manuscript is divided in two parts. The first one is dedicated to atomic-structure calculations with neutral and trivalent lanthanides, in the contexts of ultracold gases and rare-earth doped solids. The second part deals with long-range interactions in ultracold gases of alkali-metal atoms and diatomic molecules, as well as lanthanide atoms. The detailed description of long-range interactions serves to characterize ultralow-temperature phenomena, like photoassociation and collisional shielding.