Controlling ultracold chemical reactions via Rydberg-dressed   interactions
  We show that ultracold chemical reactions can be manipulated and controlled by using Rydberg-dressed interactions. Scattering in the ultracold regime is sensitive to long-range interactions, especially when weakly bound (or quasi-bound) states exist near the collision threshold. We investigate how, by Rydberg-dressing a reactant, one enhances its polarizability and modifies the long-range van der Waals collision complex, which can alter chemical reaction rates by shifting the position of near threshold bound states. We carry out a full quantum mechanical scattering calculation for the benchmark system H$_2$+D, and show that resonances can be moved substantially and that rate coefficients at cold and ultracold temperatures can be increased by several orders of magnitude. 
Jia Wang, Jason N. Byrd, Ion Simbotin, R. C\^ot\'e
physics.atom-ph quant-ph