Erlangen 2018 – scientific programme
Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help
A: Fachverband Atomphysik
A 1: Cold atoms I - Rydbergs (joint session A/Q)
A 1.2: Talk
Monday, March 5, 2018, 10:45–11:00, K 0.011
Spin-Interaction Effects for Ultralong-range Rydberg Molecules in a Magnetic Field — •Frederic Hummel1, Christian Fey1, and Peter Schmelcher1,2 — 1Zentrum für Optische Quantentechnologien, Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany — 2The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
We investigate the fine and spin structure of ultralong-range Rydberg molecules exposed to a homogeneous magnetic field. Each molecule consists of a 87Rb Rydberg atom whose outer electron interacts via spin-dependent s- and p-wave scattering with a polarizable 87Rb ground state atom. Our model includes also the hyperfine structure of the ground state atom as well as spin-orbit couplings of the Rydberg and ground state atom. We focus on d-Rydberg states and principal quantum numbers n in the vicinity of 40. The electronic structure and vibrational states are determined in the framework of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation for varying field strengths ranging from a few up to hundred Gauß. The results show that the interplay between the scattering interactions and the spin couplings gives rise to a large variety of molecular states in different spin configurations as well as in different spatial arrangements that can be tuned by the magnetic field. We quantify the impact of spin couplings by comparing the extended theory to a spin-independent model.