Feshbach resonances and molecule formation in ultracold mixtures of Rb and Yb(3P) atoms

We have investigated magnetically tunable Feshbach resonances in ultracold collisions of Rb with Yb in its metastable P-3(2) and P-3(0) states, using coupled-channel scattering and bound-state calculations. For the P-3(2) state, we find sharp resonances when both atoms are in their lowest Zeeman sublevels. However, these resonances are decayed by inelastic processes that produce Yb atoms in P-3(1) and P-3(0) states. The molecules that might be produced by magnetoassociation at the P-3(2) thresholds can decay by similar pathways and would have lifetimes no more than a few microseconds. For the P-3(0) state, by contrast, there are resonances that are promising for magnetoassociation. There are resonances due to both rotating and nonrotating molecular states that are significantly stronger than the analogous resonances for Yb(S-1). The ones due to rotating states are denser in magnetic field; in contrast to Yb(S-1), they exist even for bosonic isotopes of Yb(P-3(0)).

Automated summary

In this study, magnetically tunable Feshbach resonances in ultracold collisions of Rb and Yb were investigated. Resonances for P-3(2) state were found to be decayed, while resonances for P-3(0) state were promising for magnetoassociation.