Pair Correlations and Photoassociation Dynamics of Two Atoms in an Optical Tweezer

We investigate the photoassociation dynamics of exactly two laser-cooled Rb-85 atoms in an optical tweezer and reveal fundamentally different behavior to photoassociation in many-atom ensembles. We observe nonexponential decay in our two-atom experiment that cannot be described by a single rate coefficient and find its origin in our system's pair correlation. This is in stark contrast to many-atom photoassociation dynamics, which are governed by decay with a single rate coefficient. We also investigate photoassociation in a three-atom system, thereby probing the transition from two-atom dynamics to many-atom dynamics. Our experiments reveal additional reaction dynamics that are only accessible through the control of single atoms and suggest photoassociation could measure pair correlations in few-atom systems. It further showcases our complete control over the quantum state of individual atoms and molecules, which provides information unobtainable from many-atom experiments.

Automated summary

This study investigates the photoassociation dynamics of exactly two laser-cooled Rb-85 atoms in an optical tweezer and reveals fundamentally different behavior compared to photoassociation in many-atom ensembles. The nonexponential decay observed in the two-atom experiment cannot be described by a single rate coefficient and is attributed to the system's pair correlation. By probing the transition from two-atom dynamics to many-atom dynamics in a three-atom system, the experiments reveal additional reaction dynamics accessible through the control of single atoms and suggest the measurement of pair correlations in few-atom systems through photoassociation.