Scattering length from a partial-wave S-matrix

The $s$-wave scattering length isand the low-energy total cross-section is $4\pi a_s^2$.

This zero-range boundary condition replaces a short-range interaction by its S-wave scattering length. If $\psi =A/r+B+O(r)$, it requires $B=-A/a$. An outgoing spherical wave also has a constant $ik$ term; retaining that term gives the unitary scattering-length amplitude $f_0=-a/(1+ika)$. The model neglects effective-range corrections and is applied outside the microscopic range, not literally inside a finite potential.

Two separated short-range scatterers are coupled because the outgoing wave from either centre supplies part of the regular incoming field at the other. Applying the Bethe-Peierls boundary condition at both centres gives the displayed two-by-two linear system, where $s_j$ is the incident plane-wave phase. matrix inversion sums repeated scattering between the centres. Near a small determinant, effective-range corrections may matter even if the nominal microscopic range is short.

Taking the polar axis along the separation vector reduces the solid-angle integral to $2\pi {\int }_{-1}^1{e}^{ikdu}du$. Thus the total scattering cross-section contains the interference term $2\mathrm{Re}(c_1{c}_2^{\ast })\sin (kd)/(kd)$ as well as the two self terms. This is an outgoing-angle integral for fixed incident direction, rather than an average over the incoming beam.

The zero-energy parameter of the angular-momentum-zero partial wave. For a short-range interaction in three dimensions, its leading elastic scattering amplitude is $f_0(k)\simeq -a_s/(1+ik{a}_s)$ when effective-range corrections are negligible. For identical dilute bosons this parameter fixes the leading contact coupling $g_B=4\pi {\hslash }^2{a}_s/m_B$.

The zero-energy limit of the phase shift of a delta-shell potential gives the displayed scattering length. It vanishes at zero coupling and has a pole at $g=-1$. For repulsion $g>0$, $0<a_0<R$; for weak attraction $-1<g<0$, $a_0<0$; for $g<-1$, $a_0>R$. Both infinite-coupling limits tend to $R$. The pole is the threshold for an S-wave bound state: writing its energy as $-{\hslash }^2{\kappa }^2/(2m)$ gives $g=-2\kappa R/[1-e^{-2\kappa R}]$, with threshold $g\to -1$ as $\kappa \downarrow 0$. The delta-shell Born amplitude agrees with the exact low-energy amplitude only in their common weak-coupling and low-energy regime, $|g|\ll 1$ and $kR\ll 1$, where both tend to $-gR$.

For a barrier of radius $a$ and potential ${\hslash }^2{\gamma }^2/(2m)$, matching the regular inner hyperbolic-sine wave to the outer sine wave gives $a_s=a-\tanh (\gamma a)/\gamma$. The low-energy $s$-wave scattering amplitude is $-a_s$.

A zero-energy scattering resonance occurs when an S-wave bound state reaches the continuum threshold. The zero-energy radial solution then approaches a nonzero constant rather than a generic linear function, and the scattering length diverges and changes sign.