Exploring Atom-Ion Feshbach Resonances below the s -Wave Limit

Abstract

Hybrid systems of single, trapped ions embedded in quantum gases are a promising platform for quantum simulations and the study of long-range interactions in the ultracold regime. Feshbach resonances allow for experimental control over the character and strength of the atom-ion interaction. However, the complexity of atom-ion Feshbach spectra, e.g., due to second-order spin-orbit coupling, requires a detailed experimental understanding of the resonance properties—such as the contributing open-channel partial waves. In this work, we immerse a single barium (Ba+) ion in a bath of lithium (Li) atoms spin polarized in their hyperfine ground state to investigate the collision energy dependence of magnetically tunable atom-ion Feshbach resonances. We demonstrate fine control over the kinetic energy of the Ba+ ion and employ it to explore three-body recombination in the transition from the many- to the few-partial wave regime, marked by a sudden increase of resonant loss. In a dense spectrum—with on average 0.58(1) resonances per Gauss—we select a narrow, isolated feature and characterize it as an s-wave resonance. We introduce a quantum recombination model that allows us to distinguish it from higher-partial-wave resonances. Furthermore, in a magnetic field range with no significant loss at the lowest collision energies, we identify a higher-partial-wave resonance that appears and peaks only when we increase the energy to around the s-wave limit. Our results demonstrate that hybrid atom-ion traps can reach collision energies well in the ultracold regime and that the ion’s kinetic energy can be employed to tune the collisional complex to resonance, paving the way for fast control over the interaction in settings where magnetic field variations are detrimental to coherence. Published by the American Physical Society 2025