  Photoassociation (PA) of ultracold metastable helium to the 2s2p manifold is
theoretically investigated using a non-perturbative close-coupled treatment in
which the laser coupling is evaluated without assuming the dipole
approximation. The results are compared with our previous study [Cocks and
Whittingham, Phys. Rev. A 80, 023417 (2009)] that makes use of the dipole
approximation. The approximation is found to strongly affect the PA spectra
because the photoassociated levels are weakly bound, and a similar impact is
predicted to occur in other systems of a weakly bound nature. The inclusion or
not of the approximation does not affect the resonance positions or widths,
however significant differences are observed in the background of the spectra
and the maximum laser intensity at which resonances are discernable. Couplings
not satisfying the dipole selection rule |J-1| <= J' <= |J+1| do not lead to
observable resonances.
