Direct observation of quantum scattering oscillations in the controlled Kr* + Rb cold collision

Source: PubMed Central Open Access, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine

Quantum interference in cold collisions has been predicted to dominate chemical dynamics at low temperatures. However, experimental observations have been largely confined to light-atom systems due to technical challenges. Here, we report direct observation of scattering oscillations in cold ionizing collisions between metastable krypton and rubidium atoms. By combining laser cooling with velocity-mapped ion imaging, we precisely controlled the collision energy from 15 millikelvin to 8 kelvin and detected the ionization products. Below 1 kelvin, pronounced quantum interference between partial waves emerges as the de Broglie wavelength approaches the interaction range. The angular oscillation period scales as, consistent with a Langevin capture model for van der Waals–dominated collisions. Moreover, interference patterns in the angular distribution–collision temperature spectrum are highly sensitive to the long-range potential shape and reveal subtle shape resonances. These observations were corroborated by theoretical calculations. Our results demonstrate the quantum-classical crossover in heavy-atom systems. This study establishes a versatile platform for studying a wide range of laser-coolable species.