Theory of long-range ultracold atom-molecule photoassociation
Abstract
The creation of ultracold molecules is currently limited to diatomic species. In this letter we present a theoretical description of the photoassociation of ultracold atoms and molecules to create ultracold excited triatomic molecules, thus being a novel example of light-assisted ultracold chemical reaction. The calculation of the photoassociation rate of ultracold Cs atoms with ultracold Cs2 molecules in their rovibrational ground state is reported, based on the solution of the quantum dynamics involving the atom-molecule long-range interactions, and assuming a model potential for the short-range physics. The rate for the formation of excited Cs3 molecules is predicted to be comparable with currently observed atom-atom photoassociation rates. We formulate an experimental proposal to observe this process relying on the available techniques of optical lattices and standard photoassociation spectroscopy.
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