Energy spectrum of a harmonically trapped two-atom system with spin-orbit coupling

Abstract

Ultracold atomic gases provide a novel platform with which to study spin-orbit coupling, a mechanism that plays a central role in the nuclear shell model, atomic fine structure and two-dimensional electron gases. This paper introduces a theoretical framework that allows for the efficient determination of the eigenenergies and eigenstates of a harmonically trapped two-atom system with short-range interaction subject to an equal mixture of Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling created through Raman coupling of atomic hyperfine states. Energy spectra for experimentally relevant parameter combinations are presented and future extensions of the approach are discussed. © 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd.