Evidence for Universal Four-Body States Tied to an Efimov Trimer

Abstract

We report on the measurement of four-body recombination rate coefficients in an atomic gas. Our results obtained with an ultracold sample of cesium atoms at negative scattering lengths show a resonant enhancement of losses and provide strong evidence for the existence of a pair of four-body states, which is strictly connected to Efimov trimers via universal relations. Our findings confirm recent theoretical predictions and demonstrate the enrichment of the Efimov scenario when a fourth particle is added to the generic three-body problem.

4 pages, 4 figures