Complete Quantum Coherent Control of Ultracold Molecular Collisions

We show that quantum interference-based coherent control is a highly efficient tool for tuning ultracold molecular collision dynamics that is free from the limitations of commonly used methods that rely on external electromagnetic fields. By varying the relative populations and phases of initial coherent superpositions of degenerate molecular states, we demonstrate complete coherent control over integral scattering cross sections in the ultracold s-wave regime of both the initial and final collision channels. The proposed control methodology is applied to ultracold O-2 + O-2 collisions, showing extensive control over s-wave spin-exchange cross sections and product branching ratios over many orders of magnitude.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates that quantum interference-based coherent control is an efficient tool for tuning ultracold molecular collision dynamics, showing extensive control over various parameters in ultracold collisions such as spin-exchange cross sections and product branching ratios.