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arXiv:1407.7512 · Physical Review A

Production of rovibronic-ground-state RbCs molecules via two-photon-cascade decay

Toshihiko Shimasaki, Michael Bellos, Colin Bruzewicz, Zack Lasner, David P. DeMille

Published Feb 11, 2015• 47 citations
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Abstract

We report the production of ultracold RbCs molecules in the rovibronic ground state, i.e., $X{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{+}(v=0,J=0)$, by short-range photoassociation to the $2{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Pi}}_{0}$ state followed by spontaneous emission. We use narrow-band depletion spectroscopy to probe the distribution of rotational levels formed in the $X{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{+}(v=0)$ state. We conclude, based on selection rules, that the primary decay route to $X{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{+}(v=0)$ is a two-step cascade decay that leads to as much as $33%$ branching into the $J=0$ rotational level. The experimental simplicity of our scheme opens up the possibility of easier access to the study and manipulation of ultracold heteronuclear molecules in the rovibronic ground state.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.91.021401

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We report the production of ultracold RbCs molecules in the rovibronic ground state, i.e., X1\ensuremathΣ+(v=0,J=0)X{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{+}(v=0,J=0)X1\ensuremathΣ+(v=0,J=0), by short-range photoassociation to the 23\ensuremathΠ02{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Pi}}_{0}23\ensuremathΠ0​ state followed by spontaneous emission. We use narrow-band depletion spectroscopy to probe the distribution of rotational levels formed in the X1\ensuremathΣ+(v=0)X{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{+}(v=0)X1\ensuremathΣ+(v=0) state. We conclude, based on selection rules, that the primary decay route to X1\ensuremathΣ+(v=0)X{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{+}(v=0)X1\ensuremathΣ+(v=0) is a two-step cascade decay that leads to as much as 3333%33 branching into the J=0J=0J=0 rotational level. The experimental simplicity of our scheme opens up the possibility of easier access to the study and manipulation of ultracold heteronuclear molecules in the rovibronic ground state.
Abstract We report the production of ultracold 85Rb133Cs molecules in their rovibronic ground state X 1Σ+ (v=0; J=0), by short‐range photoassociation (PA) to the 2 1Π1, 2 3Π1, and 3 3Σ states. In the PA frequency range from 11650 to 12150 cm−1 (corresponding to energy levels 15500–16000 cm−1 above the bottom of the X potential), we have observed 40 sets of new PA lines. For selected PA states, we investigate vibrational branching, rotational branching, and saturation behavior. Among these 40 new PA lines, the 3 3Σ (v=3) state has the highest molecule production rate of 2 x 103 molecules s−1 into the rovibronic ground state.
Rovibronic levels of the mixed ${b}^{3}\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Pi}}}_{1}$-${c}^{3}\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}}_{1}^{+}$-${B}^{1}\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Pi}}}_{1}$ states of RbCs molecules are experimentally investigated with photoassociation, where the strong singlet-triplet mixing in the states facilitates a rate of 104{10}^{4}104 s${}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for producing rovibronic-ground-state molecules.
We have experimentally studied the formation of ultracold RbCs molecules by photoassociation at short internuclear range followed by spontaneous emission. The observation of new excited levels with respect to our previous work [Gabbanini and Dulieu, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 13, 18905 (2011)] on both sides of the Rb(5S1/2)+Cs(6P3/2)\text{Rb}(5{S}_{1/2})+\text{Cs}(6{P}_{3/2})Rb(5S1/2​)+Cs(6P3/2​) dissociation limit gives information on the state responsible for molecule formation. The molecules are mainly formed in deeply bound levels of the electronic triplet ground state. The observed photoassociation transitions present differences in terms of saturation.
We investigate the production of ultracold ground state X 1 σ + (v = 0) RbCs molecules in the lowest vibrational level via short-range photoassociation followed by spontaneous emission. The starting point is the laser cooled 85 Rb and 133 Cs atoms in a dual species, forced dark magneto-optical trap. The special intermediate level (5)0 + (v = 10) correlated to the (2) 3 π electric state is achieved by the photoassociation process. The formed ground state X 1 σ + (v = 0) molecule is resonantly excited to the 2 1 π intermediate state by a 651 nm pulse laser and is ionized by a 532 nm pulse laser and then detected by the time-of-flight mass spectrum. Saturation of the photoionization spectroscopy at large ionization laser energy is observed and the ionization efficiency is obtained from the fitting. The production of ultracold ground state 85 Rb 133 Cs molecules is facilitative for the further research about the manipulation of ultracold molecules in the rovibrational ground state.
We demonstrate the direct formation of vibronic ground state RbCs molecules by photoassociation of ultracold atoms followed by radiative stabilization.The photoassociation proceeds through deeply bound levels of the (2) 3 0 + state.From analysis of the relevant free-to-bound and bound-to-bound Franck-Condon factors, we have predicted and experimentally verified a set of photoassociation resonances that lead to efficient creation of molecules in the v = 0 vibrational level of the X 1 + electronic ground state.We also compare the observed and calculated laser intensity required to saturate the photoassociation rate.We discuss the prospects for using short-range photoassociation to create and accumulate samples of ultracold polar molecules in their rovibronic ground state.
Ultracold metastable RbCs molecules are observed in a double species magneto-optical trap through photoassociation near the Rb(5S(1/2)) + Cs(6P(3/2)) dissociation limit followed by radiative stabilization. The molecules are formed in their lowest triplet electronic state and are detected by resonance enhanced two-photon ionization through the previously unobserved (3)(3)Π ← a (3)Σ(+) band. The large rotational structure of the observed photoassociation lines is assigned to the lowest vibrational levels of the 0(+) or 0(-) excited states correlated to the Rb(5P(1/2)) + Cs(6S(1/2)) dissociation limit. This demonstrates the possibility of inducing direct photoassociation in heteronuclear alkali-metal molecules at a short internuclear distance, as pointed out earlier [J. Deiglmayr et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 2008, 101, 13304].