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Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference

State-selective detection of ultracold rubidium molecules in high vibrational levels of the X /sup 1/Σ/sub g//sup +/ ground state

Yanyan Huang, H. Kim, J. Qi, Dajun Wang, Edward E. Eyler, P. L. Gould, William C. Stwalley

Published Dec 10, 2005• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report on state-selective detection of ultracold ground-state rubidium molecules in very high vibrational levels. Resonant two-photon ionization spectra obtained with a pulsed 600 nm laser are analyzed to identify the absolute vibrational quantum numbers.
DOI
10.1109/qels.2005.1548837

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Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference•May 12, 2000•0 citations
We form ultracold ground-state Rb 2 molecules by photoassociating pairs of atoms in a magneto-optical trap into the 0 u + state, which decays radiatively into high vibrational levels of the X 1 Σ g + state. Sensitive and vibrationally state-selective detection is achieved by means of resonantly-enhanced two-photon ionization with a pulsed laser. Frequency scans of the detection laser reveal a long vibrational progression to a previously unobserved electronic excited state, which we identify as the 2 1 Σ u + state. Most of its vibrational spectrum is in excellent agreement with predictions based on ab initio potentials, although the lowest vibrational levels exhibit strong perturbative mixing with the triplet 2 3 Π u state. The detection method reported here, with minor variations, should be effective for the entire potential well of the X state. In this work no transitions are observed from vibrational levels above v = 118, but this turns out to be a limitation not of the detection method but rather of the photoassociative formation scheme, due to re-excitation of the highest- v levels by the same photoassociation laser that produces them.
We report on the state-selective detection of near-dissociation ultracold KRb molecules in the ground $X\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}^{1}\ensuremath{\Sigma}^{+}$ state and the metastable $a\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}^{3}\ensuremath{\Sigma}^{+}$ state. The molecules are produced by photoassociation of ultracold atoms followed by radiative decay into high vibrational levels of the XXX and aaa states. Detection utilizes resonance-enhanced one-color two-photon ionization, followed by time-of-flight mass spectroscopy. Scanning the detection laser frequency over the range 582−−625nm582--625\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}582−−625nm, we observe transitions from the ${v}^{\ensuremath{''}}=86--92$ levels of the XXX state, which are bound by up to $30\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, and the ${v}^{\ensuremath{''}}=17--23$ levels of the aaa state, which are also bound by up to $30\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The measured vibrational spacings are in excellent agreement with those previously measured and those calculated from the relevant potential curves. Relative vibrational populations are also consistent with Franck-Condon factors for decay from the photoassociated levels.
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Using resonance-enhanced two-photon ionization, we detect ultracold, metastable RbCs molecules formed in their lowest triplet state $a\text{ }^{3}\ensuremath{\Sigma}^{+}$ via photoassociation in a laser-cooled mixture of 85Rb^{85}\mathrm{Rb}85Rb and 133Cs^{133}\mathrm{Cs}133Cs atoms. We obtain extensive bound-bound excitation spectra of these molecules, which provide detailed information about their vibrational distribution, as well as spectroscopic data on several RbCs molecular states including $a\text{ }^{3}\ensuremath{\Sigma}^{+}$, $(2)\text{ }^{3}\ensuremath{\Sigma}^{+}$, and $(1)\text{ }^{1}\ensuremath{\Pi}$. Analysis of this data allows us to predict strong transitions from observed levels to the absolute vibronic ground state of RbCs, potentially allowing the production of stable, ultracold polar molecules at rates in excess of ${10}^{6}\text{ }{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$.
Summary form only given. We report results from an efficient new method for producing translationally cold (T<1 mK) potassium molecules in the ground X/sup 1//spl Sigma//sub g//sup +/ electronic state. We use the two-photon R-transfer scheme conceptually similar to a proposal by Band and Julienne (1995). First, ultracold potassium atoms in a MOT are photoassociated at long range to the 1/sub g/ molecular electronic state, which correlates to the 1/sup 1//spl Pi//sub g/ state at short range. The resulting molecules are then excited with a second laser to the 5/sup 1//spl Pi//sub u/ or 6/sup 1//spl Pi//sub u/ Rydberg states. These Rydberg states have favorable Franck-Condon factors for spontaneous decay into low vibrational levels of the ground state. The molecules are detected by use of two-color resonant ionization with pulsed lasers. By scanning one of the detection lasers, we observe transitions from several vibrational levels of the X state. The largest observed molecule formation rate in a single vibrational level is about 10/sup 5/ molecules/s for /spl nu/=25. Molecules in the lowest vibrational levels, including /spl nu/=0, are also observed with slightly lower rates of production. The translational temperature of the ground-state molecules is measured by analyzing their ballistic decay from the detection region. It is approximately 500 /spl mu/K, roughly the same as the estimated temperature of potassium atoms in the MOT.