Probing open- and closed-channel p-wave resonances

Abstract

We study the near-threshold molecular and collisional physics of a strong $^{40}$K p-wave Feshbach resonance through a combination of measurements, numerical calculations, and modeling. Dimer spectroscopy employs both radio-frequency spin-flip association in the MHz band and resonant association in the kHz band. Systematic uncertainty in the measured binding energy is reduced by a model that includes both the Franck-Condon overlap amplitude and inhomogeneous broadening. Coupled-channels calculations based on mass-scaled $^{39}$K potentials compare well to the observed binding energies and also reveal a low-energy p-wave shape resonance in the open channel. Contrary to conventional expectation, we observe a nonlinear variation of the binding energy with magnetic field, and explain how this arises from the interplay of the closed-channel ramping state with the near-threshold shape resonance in the open channel. We develop an analytic two-channel model that includes both resonances as well as the dipole-dipole interactions which, we show, become important at low energy. Using this parameterization of the energy dependence of the scattering phase, we can classify the studied $^{40}$K resonance as broad. Throughout the paper, we compare to the well understood s-wave case, and discuss the significant role played by van der Waals physics. The resulting understanding of the dimer physics of p-wave resonances provides a solid foundation for future exploration of few- and many-body orbital physics.