Ultracold collisions between Li atoms and Li2 diatoms in high vibrational states

Abstract

We have performed a quantum-dynamical study of vibrational deexcitation and elastic scattering at ultralow collision energies for the bosonic system Li7 + Li27 and for the fermionic system Li6 + Li26 with diatomic molecules in high vibrational states. Inelastic rates show a strong and irregular dependence on the vibrational state of the diatomic molecule. For the highest vibrational state which lies near the dissociation limit, vibrational deexcitation processes are not suppressed, but rather depleted, for both bosonic and fermionic systems. © 2007 The American Physical Society.