Anomalous Lifetimes of Ultracold Complexes Decaying into a Single Channel: What's Taking So Long in There?

Abstract

We investigate the lifetimes of complexes formed in ultracold molecule collisions. Employing both transition-state-theory and an optical model approach we examine processes that can extend the lifetime of complexes beyond that predicted by Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus theory. We focus on complexes that possess only one open channel, and find that the extreme distribution of widths for this case favors low decay rates. Thus decay from a complex into a single energetically available channel can be anomalously slow, and moreover nonexponential in time. We apply the theory to two systems of current experimental interest, RbCs and NaRb, finding qualitatively that the empirical time scales can be accounted for in the theory.