Abstract
Collisions with chemically inert atoms or molecules change the hyperfine coupling of an alkali-metal atom through the hyperfine-shift interaction . This interaction is responsible for the pressure shifts of the microwave resonances of alkali-metal atoms in buffer gases, is an important spin interaction in alkali-metal–noble-gas van der Waals molecules, and is anticipated to enable the magnetoassociation of ultracold molecules such as RbSr. An improved estimate is presented for the long-range asymptote of this interaction for Na, K, Rb, and Cs. To test the results, the change in hyperfine coupling due to a static electric field is estimated and reasonable agreement is found.
- Received 23 February 2013
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.87.054702
©2013 American Physical Society