Lifetime of molecule-atom mixtures near a Feshbach resonance in 40K

TL;DR

This study investigates how the lifetime of ultracold 40K molecules and atoms varies with magnetic field near a Feshbach resonance, revealing significant dependence and extended molecule lifetimes close to resonance.

Contribution

It provides detailed measurements of molecule and atom lifetimes near a Feshbach resonance in 40K, highlighting the magnetic field dependence and extended molecule stability.

Findings

Molecule lifetime increases from <1 ms to >100 ms near resonance.

Atom loss is more pronounced on the molecular bound state side.

Magnetic field critically influences molecule and atom stability.

Abstract

We report a dramatic magnetic field dependence in the lifetime of trapped, ultracold diatomic molecules created through an s-wave Feshbach resonance in 40K. The molecule lifetime increases from less than 1 ms away from the Feshbach resonance to greater than 100 ms near resonance. We also have measured the trapped atom lifetime as a function of magnetic field near the Feshbach resonance; we find that the atom loss is more pronounced on the side of the resonance containing the molecular bound state.