Quantum mechanics predicts an infinite series of loosely bound states of three bosons, and the size of these trimers should scale with a factor of 22.7. This general result seems to be confirmed now in an experiment with an ultracold gas of potassium atoms.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Efimov, V. Phys. Lett. B 33, 563–564 (1970).
Kraemer, T. et al. Nature 440, 315–318 (2006).
Zaccanti, M. et al. Nature Phys. 5, 586–591 (2009).
Braaten, E. & Hammer, H.-W. Ann. Phys. 322, 120–163 (2007).
Ottenstein, T. B., Lompe, T., Kohnen, M., Wenz, A. N. & Jochim, S. Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 203202 (2008).
Huckans, J. H., Williams, J. R., Hazlett, E. L., Stites, R. W. & O'Hara, K. M. Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 165302 (2009).
Gross, N., Shotan, Z., Kokkelmans, S. & Khaykovich, L. Preprint at http://arxiv.org/abs/0906.4731v1 (2009).
Barontini, G. et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. (in the press); preprint at http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4584v1 (2009).
von Stecher, J., D'Incao, J. P. & Greene, C. H. Nature Phys. 5, 417–421 (2009).
Ferlaino, F. et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 140401 (2009).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Efimov, V. Giant trimers true to scale. Nature Phys 5, 533–534 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys1355
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys1355
This article is cited by
-
Four-Boson Continuous Scale Symmetry Breaking
Few-Body Systems (2019)
-
Triple \(\alpha \) α Resonances and Possible Link to the Efimov Trimers
Few-Body Systems (2018)
-
Efimov Resonances in Ultracold Quantum Gases
Few-Body Systems (2011)
-
Scales and Universality in Few-Body Systems
Few-Body Systems (2011)
-
Brunnian and Efimov N-Body States
Few-Body Systems (2011)
