Universal nature and finite-range corrections in elastic atom-dimer scattering below the dimer breakup threshold

Abstract

We investigate universal behavior in elastic atom-dimer scattering below the dimer breakup threshold calculating the atom-dimer effective-range function $ak\mathrm{cot}\ensuremath{\delta}$. Using the He-He system as a reference, we solve the Schr\"odinger equation for a family of potentials having different values of the two-body scattering length $a$ and we compare our results to the universal zero-range form deduced by Efimov, $ak\mathrm{cot}\ensuremath{\delta}={c}_{1}(ka)+{c}_{2}(ka)\mathrm{cot}[{s}_{0}\mathrm{ln}({\ensuremath{\kappa}}_{*}a)+\ensuremath{\phi}(ka)]$, for selected values of the three-body parameter ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}_{*}$. Using the parametrization of the universal functions ${c}_{1},{c}_{2},\ensuremath{\phi}$ given in the literature, a good agreement with the universal formula is obtained after introducing a particular type of finite-range corrections. Furthermore, we show that the same parametrization describes a very different system: nucleon-deuteron scattering below the deuteron breakup threshold. Our analysis confirms the universal character of the process, and relates the pole energy in the effective-range function of nucleon-deuteron scattering to the three-body parameter ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}_{*}$.