Related papers: Long-range interactions between ultracold atoms an…
We describe a simple scheme for the implementation and control of effective spin-spin interactions in self-assembled crystals of cold polar molecules. In our scheme spin states are encoded in two long-lived rotational states of the…
We study the energetics of chemical reactions between ultracold ground-state alkaline-earth-metal diatomic molecules. We show that the atom-exchange reactions forming homonuclear dimers are energetically allowed for all heteronuclear…
The spin interaction of a hole confined in a quantum dot with the surrounding nuclei is described in terms of an effective magnetic field. We show that, in contrast to the Fermi contact hyperfine interaction for conduction electrons, the…
We theoretically investigate the properties of highly polar diatomic molecules containing $^2S$-state transition-metal atoms. We calculate potential energy curves, permanent electric dipole moments, spectroscopic constants, and leading…
Collisions of polar $^{1}\Sigma$ state molecules at ultralow energies are considered, within a model that accounts for long-range dipole-dipole interactions, plus rotation of the molecules. We predict a substantial suppression of…
Ultra-cold alkali atoms trapped in two distinct hyperfine states in an external magnetic field can mimic magnetic systems of spin 1/2 particles. We describe the spin-dependent effective interaction as a spin-spin interaction. As a…
We study polar alkali dimer scattering in a quasi-1D geometry for both reactive and non-reactive species. Elastic and reactive rates are computed as a function of the amplitude of a static electric field within a purely long-range model…
The dipole-dipole interaction among ultra-cold Rydberg atoms is simulated. We examine a general interaction scheme in which two atoms excited to the x and x' states are converted to y and y' states via a Forster resonance. The atoms are…
We have carried out the first quantum dynamics calculations on ultracold atom-diatom collisions in isotopic mixtures. The systems studied are spin-polarized 7Li + 6Li7Li, 7Li + 6Li2, 6Li + 6Li7Li and 6Li + 7Li2. Reactive scattering can…
We study how the radiative properties of a dense ensemble of atoms can be modified when they are placed near or between metallic or dielectric surfaces. If the average separation between the atoms is comparable or smaller than the…
The physics of interacting nuclear spins arranged in a crystalline lattice is typically described using a thermodynamic framework: a variety of experimental studies in bulk solid-state systems have proven the concept of a spin temperature…
Long-range and anisotropic dipolar interactions profoundly modify the dynamics of particles hopping in a periodic lattice potential. We report the realization of a generalized t-J model with dipolar interactions using a system of ultracold…
Ultracold polar molecules offer the possibility of exploring quantum gases with interparticle interactions that are strong, long-range, and spatially anisotropic. This is in stark contrast to the dilute gases of ultracold atoms, which have…
Atom-ion interactions occur through the electric dipole which is induced by the ion on the neutral atom. In a Langevin collision, in which the atom and ion overcome the centrifugal barrier and reach a short internuclear distance, their…
Alkaline-earth atoms in their lowest triplet P_2 state are exceptionally long-lived and can be trapped magnetically. The nonspherical atomic structure leads to anisotropic long-range interactions between two metastable alkaline-earth atoms.…
This is the manuscript of my "Habilitation \`a diriger des recherches", where I present the research work that I have done after my PhD, defended in 2009. The manuscript is divided in two parts. The first one is dedicated to…
Measurements of interactions between cold molecules and ultracold atoms can allow for a detailed understanding of fundamental collision processes. These measurements can be done using various experimental geometries including where both…
We consider collisions of electric and magnetic polar molecules, taking the OH radical as an example, subject to combined electric and magnetic static fields. We show that the relative orientation of the fields has an important effect on…
We present a theoretical study of the impact of an electric field combined with a magnetic field on the rotational dynamics of open shell diatomic molecules. Within the rigid rotor approximation, we solve the time-independent Schr\"odinger…
We propose a physical mechanism for tuning the atom-atom interaction strength at ultra-low temperatures. In the presence of a dc electric field the interatomic potential is changed due to the effective dipole-dipole interaction between the…