Photoassociation of two ultracold rubidium atoms and the subsequent formation of stable molecules in the singlet ground and lowest triplet states is investigated theoretically. The method employs laser pulses inducing transitions via excited states correlated to the $5S+5{P}_{1∕2}$ asymptote. Weakly bound molecules in the singlet ground or lowest triplet state can be created by a single pulse while the formation of more deeply bound molecules requires a two-color pump-dump scenario. More deeply bound molecules in the singlet ground or lowest triplet state can be produced only if efficient mechanisms for both pump and dump steps exist. While long-range $1∕{R}^{3}$ potentials allow for efficient photoassociation, stabilization is facilitated by the resonant spin-orbit coupling of the ${0}_{u}^{+}$ states. Molecules in the singlet ground state bound by a few wave numbers can thus be formed. This provides a promising first step toward ground-state molecules which are ultracold in both translational and vibrational degrees of freedom.Photoassociation of two ultracold rubidium atoms and the subsequent formation of stable molecules in the singlet ground and lowest triplet states is investigated theoretically. The method employs laser pulses inducing transitions via excited states correlated to the $5S+5{P}_{1∕2}$ asymptote. Weakly bound molecules in the singlet ground or lowest triplet state can be created by a single pulse while the formation of more deeply bound molecules requires a two-color pump-dump scenario. More deeply bound molecules in the singlet ground or lowest triplet state can be produced only if efficient mechanisms for both pump and dump steps exist. While long-range $1∕{R}^{3}$ potentials allow for efficient photoassociation, stabilization is facilitated by the resonant spin-orbit coupling of the ${0}_{u}^{+}$ states. Molecules in the singlet ground state bound by a few wave numbers can thus be formed. This provides a promising first step toward ground-state molecules which are ultracold in both translational and vibrational degrees of freedom.

arXiv:physics/0511235Physical Review AApr 13, 200673 citations

Novel photoassociation scheme toward the production of ultracold ground state Cesium molecules

Matthieu Viteau, Amodsen Chotia, M. Allegrini +2 more

Bulletin of the American Physical SocietyMay 30, 20080 citations

Efficient photoassociation of ultracold cesium atoms with picosecond pulse laser

Yang Hai, Xue‐Jin Hu, Jing-Lun Li +1 more

We investigate theoretically the formation of ultracold Cs2 molecules via photoassociation (PA) with three kinds of pulses (the Gaussian pulse, the asymmetric shaped laser pulse SL1 with a large rising time and a small falling time and the asymmetric shaped laser pulse SL2 with a small rising time and a large falling time). For the three kinds of pulses, the final population on vibrational levels from v′ = 120 to 175 of the excited state displays a regular oscillation change with pulse width and interaction strength, and a high PA efficiency can be achieved with optimised parameters. The PA efficiency in the excited state steered by the SL1-pulse (SL2-pulse) train with optimised parameters which is composed of four SL1 (SL2) pulses is 1.74 times as much as that by the single SL1 (SL2) pulse due to the population accumulation effect. Moreover, a dump laser is employed to transfer the excited molecules from the excited state to the vibrational level v″ = 12 of the ground state to obtain stable molecules.We investigate theoretically the formation of ultracold Cs2 molecules via photoassociation (PA) with three kinds of pulses (the Gaussian pulse, the asymmetric shaped laser pulse SL1 with a large rising time and a small falling time and the asymmetric shaped laser pulse SL2 with a small rising time and a large falling time). For the three kinds of pulses, the final population on vibrational levels from v′ = 120 to 175 of the excited state displays a regular oscillation change with pulse width and interaction strength, and a high PA efficiency can be achieved with optimised parameters. The PA efficiency in the excited state steered by the SL1-pulse (SL2-pulse) train with optimised parameters which is composed of four SL1 (SL2) pulses is 1.74 times as much as that by the single SL1 (SL2) pulse due to the population accumulation effect. Moreover, a dump laser is employed to transfer the excited molecules from the excited state to the vibrational level v″ = 12 of the ground state to obtain stable molecules.

Molecular PhysicsMay 29, 20173 citations

Ultracold Molecule Formation by Photoassociation

Edward E. Eyler, William C. Stwalley, P. L. Gould

CRC Press eBooksJun 25, 20091 citation

Formation of ultracold molecules via photoassociation with blue detuned laser light

M.-L. Almazor, Olivier Dulieu, Françoise Masnou-Seeuws +2 more

The European Physical Journal DSep 1, 200118 citations

Formation of ultracold Cs2 molecules through the double-minimum Cs2 31Σu+ state

Marin Pichler, William C. Stwalley, Robert Beuc +1 more

We present a simple model of ultracold cesium dimer formation in which the photoassociation into rovibrational levels of the double-minimum ${\mathrm{Cs}}_{2}$ $3{}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{u}^{+}$ state above its internal barrier enables spontaneous or stimulated emission into the lowest rovibrational levels of the ${\mathrm{Cs}}_{2}$ $1(X){}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{g}^{+}$ ground electronic state. The transition dipole moment should be sufficiently large for observation of such spectral transitions. The use of the ${\mathrm{Cs}}_{2}$ $3{}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{u}^{+}$ double-minimum potential could be extended to molecular Bose-Einstein condensates in which an optical trap can be employed for trapping of both atomic and molecular species.We present a simple model of ultracold cesium dimer formation in which the photoassociation into rovibrational levels of the double-minimum ${\mathrm{Cs}}_{2}$ $3{}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{u}^{+}$ state above its internal barrier enables spontaneous or stimulated emission into the lowest rovibrational levels of the ${\mathrm{Cs}}_{2}$ $1(X){}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{g}^{+}$ ground electronic state. The transition dipole moment should be sufficiently large for observation of such spectral transitions. The use of the ${\mathrm{Cs}}_{2}$ $3{}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{u}^{+}$ double-minimum potential could be extended to molecular Bose-Einstein condensates in which an optical trap can be employed for trapping of both atomic and molecular species.

Physical Review AJan 15, 200412 citations

5S+5{P}_{1∕2}

asymptote. Weakly bound molecules in the singlet ground or lowest triplet state can be created by a single pulse while the formation of more deeply bound molecules requires a two-color pump-dump scenario. More deeply bound molecules in the singlet ground or lowest triplet state can be produced only if efficient mechanisms for both pump and dump steps exist. While long-range

1∕{R}^{3}

potentials allow for efficient photoassociation, stabilization is facilitated by the resonant spin-orbit coupling of the

{0}_{u}^{+}

states. Molecules in the singlet ground state bound by a few wave numbers can thus be formed. This provides a promising first step toward ground-state molecules which are ultracold in both translational and vibrational degrees of freedom.

We present a simple model of ultracold cesium dimer formation in which the photoassociation into rovibrational levels of the double-minimum

{\mathrm{Cs}}_{2}

$3{}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{u}^{+}$ state above its internal barrier enables spontaneous or stimulated emission into the lowest rovibrational levels of the

{\mathrm{Cs}}_{2}

$1(X){}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{g}^{+}$ ground electronic state. The transition dipole moment should be sufficiently large for observation of such spectral transitions. The use of the

{\mathrm{Cs}}_{2}

$3{}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{u}^{+}$ double-minimum potential could be extended to molecular Bose-Einstein condensates in which an optical trap can be employed for trapping of both atomic and molecular species.