Universal probability distributions of scattering observables in ultracold molecular collisions

Abstract

Currently, quantum scattering calculations cannot be used for quantitative predictions of molecular scattering observables at ultralow temperatures. This is a result of two problems: the extreme sensitivity of the scattering observables to details of potential energy surfaces (PES) for interactions between the collision partners, and the exceedingly large size of molecular basis sets required for the numerically exact integration of the Schrödinger equation in the presence of external fields. Here, we suggest a new statistical approach to address both of the above problems. We show that ensembles of scattering calculations with different PESs are characterized by cumulative probability distributions, which are insensitive to the size of the molecular basis sets and can, therefore, be obtained from calculations with restricted basis sets. This opens the possibility of making predictions of experimentally relevant observables for a wide variety of molecular systems, currently considered out of reach of quantum dynamics theory. We demonstrate the method by computing the success probability of sympathetic cooling of CaH and SrOH molecules by Li atoms and SrF molecules by Rb atoms.

5 pages, 4 figures, 35 references

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• Signatures of Non-universal Quantum Dynamics of Ultracold Chemical Reactions of Polar Alkali-dimer Molecules with Alkali-metal Atoms: Li(${}^2$S) +NaLi($a^3{\Sigma }^{+}$) $\to$ Na(${}^2$S) + Li${}_2$($a^3{\Sigma }_u^{+}$)
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• Invariance of quantum scattering rate coefficients to anisotropy of atom-molecule interactions