Abstract
We report on the measurement of four-body recombination rate coefficients in an atomic gas. Our results obtained with an ultracold sample of cesium atoms at negative scattering lengths show a resonant enhancement of losses and provide strong evidence for the existence of a pair of four-body states, which is strictly connected to Efimov trimers via universal relations. Our findings confirm recent theoretical predictions and demonstrate the enrichment of the Efimov scenario when a fourth particle is added to the generic three-body problem.
- Received 6 March 2009
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.140401
©2009 American Physical Society
Viewpoint
Ultracold experiments strike universal physics—again
Published 6 April 2009
An ultracold atomic physics experiment reveals universal physics in a four-body system.
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