Low-energy atomic scattering: s-wave relation between the interaction potential and the phase shift

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Main Authors: Lorenzi, Francesco, Salasnich, Luca
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Lorenzi, Francesco
Salasnich, Luca
author_facet Lorenzi, Francesco
Salasnich, Luca
contents We investigate the on-shell approximation in the context of s-wave scattering for ultracold two-body collisions. Our analysis systematically covers spatial dimensions D=1,2,3 , with the aim of identifying the regimes in which the approximation remains valid when applied to commonly used model interaction potentials. Specifically, we focus on the square well and delta shell potentials, both of which admit analytical solutions for the s-wave scattering problem in all dimensions considered. By employing the exact analytical expressions for the s-wave scattering phase shift, we perform a direct comparison between the exact on-shell matrix element of the interaction potential and their corresponding approximations across a range of collision momenta. Particular attention is given to the low-energy regime. Our findings indicate that, although the on-shell approximation generally improves with increasing momentum, its accuracy also improves for weaker potentials. Remarkably, in the limit of weak interactions, we demonstrate that the on-shell approximation becomes exact at leading order. In this regime, the approximation offers a controlled means of deriving the low-momentum expansion of the potential and may serve as a useful tool in constructing effective interactions for quantum field theories.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_20421
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Low-energy atomic scattering: s-wave relation between the interaction potential and the phase shift
Lorenzi, Francesco
Salasnich, Luca
Quantum Gases
Nuclear Theory
We investigate the on-shell approximation in the context of s-wave scattering for ultracold two-body collisions. Our analysis systematically covers spatial dimensions D=1,2,3 , with the aim of identifying the regimes in which the approximation remains valid when applied to commonly used model interaction potentials. Specifically, we focus on the square well and delta shell potentials, both of which admit analytical solutions for the s-wave scattering problem in all dimensions considered. By employing the exact analytical expressions for the s-wave scattering phase shift, we perform a direct comparison between the exact on-shell matrix element of the interaction potential and their corresponding approximations across a range of collision momenta. Particular attention is given to the low-energy regime. Our findings indicate that, although the on-shell approximation generally improves with increasing momentum, its accuracy also improves for weaker potentials. Remarkably, in the limit of weak interactions, we demonstrate that the on-shell approximation becomes exact at leading order. In this regime, the approximation offers a controlled means of deriving the low-momentum expansion of the potential and may serve as a useful tool in constructing effective interactions for quantum field theories.
title Low-energy atomic scattering: s-wave relation between the interaction potential and the phase shift
topic Quantum Gases
Nuclear Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.20421