Physical Review Letters

Cold Rubidium Molecules Formed in a Magneto-Optical Trap

C. Gabbanini, A. Fioretti, A. Lucchesini, Silvia Gozzini, Marina Mazzoni

Published Mar 27, 2000• 191 citations

Abstract

We report the first observation of translationally cold ( $\ensuremath{\sim}90\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$) ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{2}$ molecules. They are produced in a magneto-optical trap in their triplet ground state. The detection is performed by selective mass spectroscopy after two-photon ionization into ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{2}^{+}$, resonantly enhanced through the intermediate $a{}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{u}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2{}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Pi}}_{g}$ molecular band. The two rubidium isotopes present very different types of behavior that are interpreted in terms of their respective collisional properties.

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.84.2814

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Physical Review Letters

Cold Rubidium Molecules Formed in a Magneto-Optical Trap

C. Gabbanini, A. Fioretti, A. Lucchesini, Silvia Gozzini, Marina Mazzoni

Published Mar 27, 2000• 191 citations

Publisher

Abstract

We report the first observation of translationally cold (

\ensuremath{\sim}90\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}

)

{\mathrm{Rb}}_{2}

molecules. They are produced in a magneto-optical trap in their triplet ground state. The detection is performed by selective mass spectroscopy after two-photon ionization into

{\mathrm{Rb}}_{2}^{+}

, resonantly enhanced through the intermediate

a{}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{u}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2{}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Pi}}_{g}

molecular band. The two rubidium isotopes present very different types of behavior that are interpreted in terms of their respective collisional properties.

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.84.2814

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In this paper, we report the measurement of molecular formation rate constant of ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{2}$ directly in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). The ground state molecules are detected by two-photon ionization, resonantly enhanced through the intermediate ${a}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{u}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{2}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Pi}}_{g}$ molecular band. We have measured the rate constant as a function of atomic density to conclude that the molecules ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{2}$ are formed in the MOT by a photoassociation process caused by the trapping laser beams. We also measured the rate constant as a function of the trapping laser intensity. The results here presented are of importance to future experiments involving trapping of cold molecules.In this paper, we report the measurement of molecular formation rate constant of ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{2}$ directly in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). The ground state molecules are detected by two-photon ionization, resonantly enhanced through the intermediate ${a}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{u}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{2}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Pi}}_{g}$ molecular band. We have measured the rate constant as a function of atomic density to conclude that the molecules ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{2}$ are formed in the MOT by a photoassociation process caused by the trapping laser beams. We also measured the rate constant as a function of the trapping laser intensity. The results here presented are of importance to future experiments involving trapping of cold molecules.

Physical Review AApr 8, 200525 citations

Observation of Ultracold Ground-State Heteronuclear Molecules

M. W. Mancini, Gustavo Deczka Telles, Anderson R. L. Caires +2 more

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Physical Review LettersApr 2, 2004163 citations

We report the first observation of translationally cold (

\ensuremath{\sim}90\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}

)

{\mathrm{Rb}}_{2}

molecules. They are produced in a magneto-optical trap in their triplet ground state. The detection is performed by selective mass spectroscopy after two-photon ionization into

{\mathrm{Rb}}_{2}^{+}

, resonantly enhanced through the intermediate

a{}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{u}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2{}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Pi}}_{g}

molecular band. The two rubidium isotopes present very different types of behavior that are interpreted in terms of their respective collisional properties.

We have performed photoassociative spectroscopy of cold Cs atoms in a vapor-cell magneto-optical trap, within $10{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ below the dissociation limit

6s^{2}S_{1/2}+6p^{2}P_{3/2}

. Our detection method is based on pulsed-laser photoionization of

{\mathrm{Cs}}_{2}

molecules, selectively detected through a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Temporal and spatial analysis of

{\mathrm{Cs}}_{2}^{+}

ions show for the first time the formation of translationally cold

{\mathrm{Cs}}_{2}

triplet ground state molecules, at a temperature $T\ensuremath{\sim}300\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$.

In this paper, we report the measurement of molecular formation rate constant of

{\mathrm{Rb}}_{2}

directly in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). The ground state molecules are detected by two-photon ionization, resonantly enhanced through the intermediate ${a}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{u}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{2}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Pi}}_{g}$ molecular band. We have measured the rate constant as a function of atomic density to conclude that the molecules

{\mathrm{Rb}}_{2}

are formed in the MOT by a photoassociation process caused by the trapping laser beams. We also measured the rate constant as a function of the trapping laser intensity. The results here presented are of importance to future experiments involving trapping of cold molecules.