arXiv:1007.2400 · Physical Review A
Near-dissociation photoassociative production of deeply bound NaCs molecules
Patrick Zabawa, Amy Wakim, Amanda J. Neukirch, Christopher Haimberger, N. P. Bigelow, A. V. Stolyarov, E. A. Pazyuk, M. Tamanis, R. Ferber
Abstract
We demonstrate that a photoassociation resonance detuned less than a wave number below the Cs $6 {}^{2}{P}_{3/2}$ atomic line can be used to create a deeply bound molecular sample of ultracold polar NaCs. We assign $1 {}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{+}$ ($v=4,5,6,11,19$) vibrational levels utilizing a pulsed depletion spectroscopic method (scanning $~700$ cm${}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at a time) in which we observe the $1 {}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2 {}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{+}\ensuremath{-}1 {}^{3}\ensuremath{\Pi}$ vibrational progression. These data are compared with results from a hot-molecule collision-enhanced laser-induced fluorescence experiment and shown to be in good agreement. This technique is a powerful tool to experimentally determine the population distribution in any ultracold molecular system.