Collisional stability of localized Yb(${}^3{\mathrm{P}}_2$) atoms immersed in a Fermi sea of Li

We establish an experimental method for a detailed investigation of inelastic collisional properties between ytterbium (Yb) in the metastable ${}^3{\mathrm{P}}_2$ state and ground state lithium (Li). By combining an optical lattice and a direct excitation to the ${}^3{\mathrm{P}}_2$ state we achieve high selectivity on the collisional partners. Using this method we determine inelastic loss coefficients in collisions between ${}^{174}$Yb(${}^3{\mathrm{P}}_2$) with magnetic sublevels of $m_J=0$ and $-2$ and ground state ${}^6$Li to be $(4.4\pm 0.3)\times {10}^{-11}{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{m}}^3\mathrm{/}\mathrm{s}$ and $(4.7\pm 0.8)\times {10}^{-11}{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{m}}^3\mathrm{/}\mathrm{s}$, respectively. Absence of spin changing processes in Yb(${}^3{\mathrm{P}}_2$)-Li inelastic collisions at low magnetic fields is confirmed by inelastic loss measurements on the $m_J=0$ state. We also demonstrate that our method allows us to look into loss processes in few-body systems separately.