Quantum-degenerate dipolar gases of bialkali molecules

在非常低的温度下，物质进入了一个新的区域，其性质完全是量子力学的。这种量子物质非常精确地可控，并提供了许多新的性质，很可能构成未来技术的基础。EuroQUAM计划是一个由欧洲科学基金会协调的EUROCORES计划，旨在发展欧洲在冷量子物质方面的研究。这项提议是QuDipMol协作研究提议的一部分，该提议汇集了五个实验小组(因斯布鲁克、弗莱堡、菲伦泽/比萨、达勒姆和汉诺威)和四个理论小组(达勒姆、奥赛、布拉格、因斯布鲁克)。QuDipMol的目标是形成一种极性(异核)碱金属二聚体的量子气体。这些分子将在含有两个不同碱金属原子的混合超冷气体的陷阱中形成，通过光缔合和费什巴赫共振的磁调来形成。将开发提高极性分子的形成速度和密度的方法。达勒姆实验小组将致力于利用超冷原子气体Rb和Cs来创造极性分子。这种混合物特别有吸引力，因为这些物种的原子间碰撞的独特性质，这应该提供一种手段来操纵原子混合物的性质，以便使分子产生更有利的。在此过程中的一个主要问题是，分子可能会因为与原子或其他分子的碰撞而被摧毁(或从陷阱中丢失)。重要的是要了解这些碰撞，无论是在分子形成过程中绕过它们，还是控制由此产生的极性量子气体。达勒姆理论小组将致力于通过为感兴趣的系统开发势能面和进行量子力学反应散射计算来实现必要的理解。

At very low temperatures, matter enters a new regime where its properties are fully quantum-mechanical. Such quantum matter is very precisely controllable and offers many new properties that are likely to form the basis of future technologies. The EuroQUAM Programme is a EUROCORES Programme coordinated by the European Science Foundation to develop European research in Cold Quantum Matter. This proposal is part of the QuDipMol Collaborative Research Proposal, which brings together five experimental groups (Innsbruck, Freiburg, Firenze/Pisa, Durham and Hannover) and four theory groups (Durham, Orsay, Prague, Innsbruck). QuDipMol aims to form a quantum gas of polar (heteronuclear) alkali metal dimers. The molecules will be formed in traps containing mixed ultracold gases of two different alkali metal atoms, both by photoassociation and magnetic tuning through Feshbach resonances. Methods will be developed to increase the rate of formation and the density of the polar molecules. The Durham experimental group will work to create polar molecules using ultracold atomic gases of rubidium and caesium. This mixture is particularly attractive due to the unique nature of the interatomic collisions for these species, which should provide a means to manipulate the properties of the atomic mixture in order to make the molecule production more favourable.A major problem along the way is that the molecules may be destroyed (or lost from the trap) because of collisions with atoms or other molecules. It is important to understand these collisions, both to work around them during the formation of the molecules and to control the resulting polar quantum gas. The Durham theory group will work to achieve the necessary understanding by developing potential energy surfaces for the systems of interest and carrying out quantum-mechanical reactive scattering calculations.