Institute for Quantum Information,

University of Ulm, 18 February 2008

ULTRACOLD COLLISIONS IN THE

PRESENCE OF TRAPPING POTENTIALS
ZBIGNIEW IDZIASZEK

Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Warsaw

and
Center for Theoretical Physics, Polish Academy of Science

Outline
Outline

1. Binary collisions in harmonic traps

- collisions in s-wave
- collisions in higher partial waves
2. Energy dependent scattering length
3. Scattering in quasi-1D and and quasi-2D traps
- confinement induced resonances
4. Feshbach resonances

System
System
1. Ultracold atoms in the trapping potential
magnetic traps, optical dipole traps, electro-magnetic traps for charged particles, ...
Typical trapping potentials are harmonic close to the center

VT (r )

1
m x2 x 2 y2 y 2 z2 z 2
2

2. Characteristic range of interaction R* << length scale of the trapping potential

trap size

R*
Interactions can be modeled via contact pseudopotential
- Very accurate for neutral atoms
- Not applicable for charged particles, e.g. for atom-ion collisions

Two
Twoultracold
ultracoldatoms
atomsin
inharmonic
harmonictrap
trap
Hamiltonian (harmonic-oscillator units)

length unit:

energy unit:

Axially symmetric trap:

Contact pseudopotential for s-wave scattering (low energies):

CM and relative motions can be separated in harmonic potential

Two
Twoultracold
ultracoldatoms
atomsin
inharmonic
harmonictrap
trap
Relative motion

We expand

into basis of harmonic oscillator wave functions

radial:
axial:

Contact pseudopotential affects only states with mz=0 and k even

(non vanishing at r=0 )
For mz0 or k odd trivial solution:

Two
Twoultracold
ultracoldatoms
atomsin
inharmonic
harmonictrap
trap
Substituting expansion into Schrdinger equation and projecting on

Eigenfunctions:

Eigenenergies:

Integral representation can be obtained from:

Two
Twoultracold
ultracoldatoms
atomsin
inharmonic
harmonictrap
trap
Energy spectrum in cigar-shape traps ( >
1)

Energy spectrum in pancake-shape traps ( < 1)

Energy spectrum for = 5

For

Energy spectrum for = 1/5

For

Z.I., T. Calarco, PRA 71, 050701 (2005)

Two
Twoultracold
ultracoldatoms
atomsin
inharmonic
harmonictrap
trap
Comparison of theory vs. experiment: atoms in optical lattice
8

Energy [E/ ]

-2
-10

-5

a/aHO

10

solid line theory (spherically symmetric trap)

T. Bush et al., Found. Phys. 28, 549 (1998)

d ( E 12 )

a ( E 32 )

d m

points experimental data

T. Stferle et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 030401 (2006)

Bound state for positive and negative energies due to the trap

Two
Twoultracold
ultracoldatoms
atomsin
inharmonic
harmonictrap
trap
Energy spectrum and wave functions for
very elongated cigar-shape trap

First excited state

Elongated in the direction of weak trapping

Dip in the center due to the strong interaction

Trap-induced bound state (a < 0)

Energy spectrum for = 100

exact energies
1D model + g1D

Size determined by the strong confinement

Wave function is nearly isotropic

Two
Twoultracold
ultracoldatoms
atomsin
inharmonic
harmonictrap
trap
Identical fermions can only interact in odd partial waves (l = 2n+1)
No interactions in higher partial waves at E0 (Wigner threshold law)

tan l ~ k 2l 1

Scattering for l > 0 can be enhanced in the presence of resonances Feshbach resonances

Two ultracold fermions in harmonic trap

Hamitonian of the relative motion:

Energy spectrum for = 1/10

Energy spectrum for = 1/10

Energy-dependent
Energy-dependent scattering
scattering length
length
Fermi pseudopotential - applicable for: k R* 1, k a 1/ k R*
s-wave scattering lenght:

In the tight traps (large k) or close to resonances (large a)

E.L Bolda et al., PRA 66, 013403 (2002)
D. Blume and C.H. Greene, PRA 65, 043613 (2002)

Energy-dependent scattering length

At small energies (k 0): aeff(E) a

Schrdinger equation is solved in a self-consistent way

H 0 V (E )

Applicable only when CM and relative motions can be separated.

Energy-dependent
Energy-dependent scattering
scattering length
length
TEST: two interacting atoms in harmonic trap, s-wave states
Scattering
length
Model potential: square well
V(r)
R0
r

Energy
spectrum

V0

Parameters:

exact energies
pseudopotential approximation
pseudopotential with aeff(E)

Energy-dependent
Energy-dependent scattering
scattering length
length
TEST: two interacting atoms in harmonic trap, p-wave states
V(r)
R0
r

3 2
2a p (E)
(r )r 3 r
EDP: V p (r )

V0

Scattering volume:
Energy spectrum for R0=0.05d

Energy-dependent pseudopotential
applicable even for R0 /d not very small
Energy spectrum for R0=0.2 d

Atomic
Atomiccollisions
collisionsin
inquasi-1D
quasi-1Dtraps
traps
optical lattice

Quasi-1D traps
Weak confinement along z
Strong confinement along x,y

Effective motion like in 1D system

In the harmonic confinement CM and relative motions are not coupled
Hamiltonian of relative motion:

Asymptotic solution at small energies

f+ - even scattering wave
f- - odd scattering wave
After collision atoms remain in ground-state of transverse motion

Collisions
Collisionsof
of bosons
bosonsin
in quasi-1D
quasi-1Dtraps
traps

Even scattered wave for bosons

M. Olshanii PRL 81, 938 (1998)

Confinement induced resonance (CIR)

occurs for

For k 0 ( E )

a 0.68d

Transmission coefficient T

T 1 fe

Collisions
Collisionsof
ofbosons
bosonsin
in1D
1Dsystem
system
Interactions of bosons in 1D can be modeled with:
Contact pseudopotential
Interaction strength for quasi-1D trap obtained from 3D solution

M. Olshanii PRL 81, 938 (1998)

Confinement induced resonance at

T. Bergeman et al. PRL 91, 163201(2003)

Gas of strongly interacting bosons in 1D: Tonks-Girardeau gas

Collisions
Collisionsof
of fermions
fermionsin
in quasi-1D
quasi-1Dtraps
traps

Odd scattered wave for fermions

B. Granger, D. Blume, PRL (2004)

CIR
Resonance in p-wave for

For k 0 ( E )

Scattering amplitude f-

Feshbach
Feshbachresonances
resonances
H1 1 W 2 E 1
W 1 H2 2 E 2

(2)

Em(B)

(1)

2
H1
V1 (r )
2

entrance channel

2
H2
V2 (r )
2

closed channel

W (r ) coupling between channels

Inverting 1st equation with the help of Greens functions

1 G1W 2
W 1 H2 2 E 2

(1)
(2)

G1

Substituting (1) into (2) and solving for 2

1
W

E H 2 WG1 W
1
1 G1W
W

E H 2 WG1 W

1
E H1 i0

H1 E
r

r e

ik r

e ikr
f ( , )
r

Feshbach
Feshbachresonances
resonances
2

1
W

E H 2 WG1 W

1 G1W

Em(B)

2)
1)

1
W

E H 2 WG1 W

Close to a resonance only single bound-state from a closed channel contributes

res res
1

E H 2 WG1W E Em ( B ) m i 2
Em ( B ) res H 2 res m B Bres
Em ( Bres ) 0
m Re res WG1W res

res

- resonant bound state in the closed channel

- energy of bound state

Bres magnetic field when the bound state crosses the threshold

- energy shift due to the couppling

Im res WG1W res - resonance width

2

Feshbach
Feshbachresonances
resonances
Phase shift

E Em ( B ) m

bg background phase shift (in the absence

of coupling between channels)

0 bg arctan

Energy dependent scattering length

B0 Bres m

B(1 E Eb )
aeff ( E , B ) abg 1

B
E
E
0
b

Background scattering length:

tan bg (k )

abg lim
k 0
k

2k
k 0 a
bg m

B lim

2
Eb
2
2mabg

B0

a ( B ) abg 1
B B0

a ( s ca t e r i n g l e n g t h )

Typically for ultracold collisions

abg

B (magnetic field)

Trapped
Trappedatoms
atoms++ Feshbach
Feshbachresonances
resonances
Example: Energy spectrum of two 87Rb atoms in a tight trap
Quasi-1D trap

Parameters of resonance

energy spectrum
resonance position

Lippmann-Schwinger
Lippmann-Schwingerequation
equationand
andGreens
Greensfunctions
functions

H0 V

E
Greens operator G

G V 2

Solution for V=0

1
E H 0 i0

r e ik r

Lippmann Schwinger equation

Greens function in position representation in free space H 0

2m
G r , r r E H 0 i 0

ik r r

2m e
r 2
4 r r

Lippmann-Schwinger equation in position representation

(r ) e ik r d 3r G (r, r)V (r ) (r)

Behavior of (r) at large distances

(r ) r e

Scattering amplitude

ik r

e ikr
f ( , )
r
f ,

1 2 m 3 ik r
d r e V (r) (r)
2
4

+ outgoing spherical wave

Atomic
Atomiccollisions
collisionsin
inquasi-1D
quasi-1Dand
andquasi-2D
quasi-2Dtraps
traps
1D and 2D effective interactions in comparison to full 3D treatment

Energy spectrum in cigar-shape trap

Energy spectrum in pancake-shape trap

exact energies (3D)

exact energies (3D)

1D trap + g1D

2D trap + g2D
ZI, T. Calarco, PRA 74, 022712 (2006)

Realization of 1D and 2D regimes does not require very large anisotropy of the trap

 H
H 1
W

H 2

1
2

Then E (kinetic energy at r = 0)

Z. Idziaszek, T. Calarco,
PRA 74, 022712 (2006)

QUASI-2D SYSTEMS
Scattering of spin-polarized fermions in quasi-2D

Asymptotic solution for kinetic energies

Atoms remain in the ground state in z direction

Solving the scattering problem ...

m=1 scattering wave for p-wave interacting fermions

Scattering
Scatteringin
inquasi-2D
quasi-2Dtraps
traps
Similar scattering confinement-induced resonaces as in quasi-1D traps
Example: two fermions, p-wave interactions

Scattering amplitude
CIR
Scattering amplitude in forward
direction for different values of
energy
2D scattering amplitude:

Zderzenia
Zderzeniaatomw
atomwwwpuapkach
puapkachkwazi-1D
kwazi-1Diikwazi-2D
kwazi-2D
Rozpraszanie fermionw w fali p w ukadzie kwazi-2D

Zachowanie asymptotyczne dla energii kinetycznych

Atomy pozostaj w stanie podstawowym w kierunku z

Amplituda rozpraszania w 2D:

Rozwizanie problemu rozpraszania:

fala m=1 dla fermionw oddziaujcych w fali p

Zderzenia
Zderzeniaatomw
atomwwwfali
falippwwukadzie
ukadziekwazi-2D
kwazi-2D
Rezonans indukowany ciniciem gdy
pooenie rezonansu:
ZI, and T. Calarco, PRL (2006)

Dla niskich energii (

):

Amplituda rozpraszania do przodu dla rnych energii kinetycznych

CIR

Rezonans nie widoczny powyej

energii