Probing Energy-Dependent Feshbach Resonances by Optical Control

Abstract: Optical control enables new high resolution probes of narrow collisional (Feshbach) resonances, which are strongly dependent on the relative momentum of colliding atom pairs, and important for simulating neutron matter with ultracold atomic gases. We demonstrate a two-field optical vernier, which expands kHz (mG) magnetic field detunings near a narrow resonance into MHz optical field detunings, enabling precise control and characterization of the momentum-dependent scattering amplitude. Two-photon loss spectra are measured for the narrow resonance in $^6$Li, revealing rich structure in very good agreement with our theoretical model. However, anomalous frequency shifts between the measured and predicted two-photon spectra are not yet explained.