Weakly bound atomic trimers in ultracold traps

Abstract

The experimental three-atom recombination coefficients of the atomic states [Formula Presented] [Formula Presented] and [Formula Presented] together with the corresponding two-body scattering lengths, allow predictions of the trimer bound-state energies for such systems in a trap. The recombination parameter is given as a function of the weakly bound trimer energies, which are in the interval [Formula Presented] for large positive scattering lengths [Formula Presented] The contribution of a deep-bound state to our prediction, in the case of [Formula Presented] for a particular trap, is shown to be relatively small. © 2003 The American Physical Society.