Our present study of the universal physics for three oriented fermionic dipoles in the hyperspherical adiabatic representation predicts a single long-lived three-dipole state, which exists in only one three-body symmetry and forms near a two-dipole resonance. Our analysis reveals the spatial configuration of the universal state and the scaling of its binding energy and lifetime with the strength of the dipolar interaction. In addition, three-body recombination of fermionic dipoles is found to be important even at ultracold energies. An additional finding is that an effective long-range repulsion arises between a dipole and a dipolar dimer that is tunable via dipolar interactions.

• Received 30 June 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.233201