We report on the direct conversion of laser-cooled 41K and 87Rb atoms into ultracold 41K87Rb molecules in the rovibrational ground state via photoassociation followed by stimulated Raman adiabatic passage. High-resolution spectroscopy based on the coherent transfer revealed the hyperfine structure of weakly bound molecules in an unexplored region. Our results show that a rovibrationally pure sample of ultracold ground-state molecules is achieved via the all-optical association of laser-cooled atoms, opening possibilities to coherently manipulate a wide variety of molecules.We report on the direct conversion of laser-cooled 41K and 87Rb atoms into ultracold 41K87Rb molecules in the rovibrational ground state via photoassociation followed by stimulated Raman adiabatic passage. High-resolution spectroscopy based on the coherent transfer revealed the hyperfine structure of weakly bound molecules in an unexplored region. Our results show that a rovibrationally pure sample of ultracold ground-state molecules is achieved via the all-optical association of laser-cooled atoms, opening possibilities to coherently manipulate a wide variety of molecules.

arXiv:1008.5034Physical Review LettersNov 10, 2010231 citations

Rovibrational cooling of photoassociated Rb285 molecules at millikelvin temperature

Meng Wang, Bing-Kuan Lyu, Jing-Lun Li +3 more

We investigate theoretically the rovibrational cooling of the $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}_{2}$ molecule resulting from the photoassociation of $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}_{2}$ atoms at millikelvin temperature. At several millikelvin temperature, the populations of the initial state and the photoassociated $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}_{2}$ molecule are distributed on hundreds of rovibrational levels. In the laser rovibrational cooling process, the population of the photoassociated molecule is first transferred to the deep vibrational state $|{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{{v}^{\ensuremath{''}}=39}\ensuremath{\rangle}$ and then further to the rovibrational ground state $|{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{{v}^{\ensuremath{''}}=0,l=0}\ensuremath{\rangle}$ via the intermediate state $|{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{{v}^{\ensuremath{'}}=42,{l}_{e}=1}\ensuremath{\rangle}$. After the cooling process is over, the population transferred from the intermediate state $|{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{{v}^{\ensuremath{'}}=42,{l}_{e}=1}\ensuremath{\rangle}$ is fully distributed in the vibrational ground state $|{v}^{\ensuremath{''}}=0\ensuremath{\rangle}$. Of the population in the vibrational ground state, $51.59%$ is concentrated in the rotational ground state $|l=0\ensuremath{\rangle}$, and the rest of population is distributed in the low rotational states $|l=1\ensuremath{-}3\ensuremath{\rangle}$.We investigate theoretically the rovibrational cooling of the $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}_{2}$ molecule resulting from the photoassociation of $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}_{2}$ atoms at millikelvin temperature. At several millikelvin temperature, the populations of the initial state and the photoassociated $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}_{2}$ molecule are distributed on hundreds of rovibrational levels. In the laser rovibrational cooling process, the population of the photoassociated molecule is first transferred to the deep vibrational state $|{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{{v}^{\ensuremath{''}}=39}\ensuremath{\rangle}$ and then further to the rovibrational ground state $|{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{{v}^{\ensuremath{''}}=0,l=0}\ensuremath{\rangle}$ via the intermediate state $|{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{{v}^{\ensuremath{'}}=42,{l}_{e}=1}\ensuremath{\rangle}$. After the cooling process is over, the population transferred from the intermediate state $|{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{{v}^{\ensuremath{'}}=42,{l}_{e}=1}\ensuremath{\rangle}$ is fully distributed in the vibrational ground state $|{v}^{\ensuremath{''}}=0\ensuremath{\rangle}$. Of the population in the vibrational ground state, $51.59%$ is concentrated in the rotational ground state $|l=0\ensuremath{\rangle}$, and the rest of population is distributed in the low rotational states $|l=1\ensuremath{-}3\ensuremath{\rangle}$.

Physical Review AMay 30, 20192 citations

Coherent effects of photodissociation of molecules

Horia I. Metiu

Annual Meeting Optical Society of AmericaJan 1, 19930 citations

Coherent excitation, resonant energy transfer and vibrational relaxation

D. Ricard, José Chesnoy

Chemical Physics LettersSep 1, 19793 citations

We investigate theoretically the rovibrational cooling of the

^{85}\mathrm{Rb}_{2}

molecule resulting from the photoassociation of

^{85}\mathrm{Rb}_{2}

atoms at millikelvin temperature. At several millikelvin temperature, the populations of the initial state and the photoassociated

^{85}\mathrm{Rb}_{2}

molecule are distributed on hundreds of rovibrational levels. In the laser rovibrational cooling process, the population of the photoassociated molecule is first transferred to the deep vibrational state $|{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{{v}^{\ensuremath{''}}=39}\ensuremath{\rangle}$ and then further to the rovibrational ground state $|{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{{v}^{\ensuremath{''}}=0,l=0}\ensuremath{\rangle}$ via the intermediate state $|{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{{v}^{\ensuremath{'}}=42,{l}_{e}=1}\ensuremath{\rangle}$. After the cooling process is over, the population transferred from the intermediate state $|{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{{v}^{\ensuremath{'}}=42,{l}_{e}=1}\ensuremath{\rangle}$ is fully distributed in the vibrational ground state $|{v}^{\ensuremath{''}}=0\ensuremath{\rangle}$. Of the population in the vibrational ground state,

51.59%

is concentrated in the rotational ground state $|l=0\ensuremath{\rangle}$, and the rest of population is distributed in the low rotational states $|l=1\ensuremath{-}3\ensuremath{\rangle}$.