Trapping of Ultracold Polar Molecules with a Thin-Wire Electrostatic Trap
Jan Kleinert, Christopher Haimberger, Patrick Zabawa +1 more
We describe the realization of a dc electric-field trap for ultracold polar molecules, the thin-wire electrostatic trap (TWIST). The thin wires that form the electrodes of the TWIST allow us to superimpose the trap onto a magneto-optical trap (MOT). In our experiment, ultracold polar NaCs molecules in their electronic ground state are created in the MOT via photoassociation, achieving a continuous accumulation in the TWIST of molecules in low-field seeking states. Initial measurements show that the TWIST trap lifetime is limited only by the background pressure in the chamber.
arXiv:0707.2015•Physical Review Letters•Oct 4, 2007•47 citations