An analytical potential energy surface for a rigid Rb₂ in the ³Σ(u)⁺ state interacting with one helium atom based on accurate ab initio computations is proposed. This 2-dimensional potential is used, together with the pair approximation approach, to investigate Rb₂ attached to small helium clusters He(N) with N = 1-6, 12, and 20 by means of quantum Monte Carlo studies. The limit of large clusters is approximated by a flat helium surface. The relative orientation of the dialkali axis and the helium surface is found to be parallel. Dynamical investigations of the pendular and of the in-plane rotation of the rigid Rb₂ molecule on the surface are presented.

We have developed a three-dimensional potential energy surface for the lowest triplet state of the Rb(2)He complex. A global analytic fit is provided as in the supplementary material [see supplementary material at http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4709433 for the corresponding Fortran code]. This surface is used to perform quantum scattering calculations of (4)He and (3)He colliding with (87)Rb(2) in the partial wave J = 0 at low and ultralow energies. For the heavier helium isotope, the computed vibrational relaxation probabilities show a broad and strong shape resonance for a collisional energy of 0.15 K and a narrow Feshbach resonance at about 17 K for all initial Rb(2) vibrational states studied. The broad resonance corresponds to an efficient relaxation mechanism that does not occur when (3)He is the colliding partner. The Feshbach resonance observed at higher collisional energy is robust with respect to the isotopic substitution. However, its effect on the vibrational relaxation mechanism is faint for both isotopes.