Trap-induced atom-ion complexes: A time-independent approach

A trapped ion immersed in a neutral bath shows long-lived atom-ion complexes that significantly alter its chemical properties and thus the ion stability. In this work, we present a general study of trapped-ion-atom scattering with the ion modeled as a charge distribution defined by the spatial extent of its ground-state wave function. After mapping the time-dependent problem onto a time-independent framework, we investigate the conditions under which chaotic scattering arises and develops using classical trajectory simulations. In particular, we characterize the role of the trap, the atomic species, the atom-ion interaction, and the collision energy in shaping the chaotic dynamics of the system.