Detection of a Cold Beam of SrF Molecules Using Laser Spectroscopy

Sreekanth Chirayath Mathavan, Joost van den Berg, P. Drolenga +4 more

Jacoba Roelien Meinema, Joost van den Berg, Sreekanth Chirayath Mathavan +4 more

Matthew Steinecker

V. I. Balykin, Vladilen S Letokhov, Vladimir G. Minogin +1 more

V. I. Balykin, Vladilen S Letokhov, Vladimir G. Minogin +1 more

Ming-Feng Tu, Jia-Jung Ho, Chih‐Chiang Hsieh +1 more

We have developed a continuous SrF radical beam for the loading of helium buffer gas cooling. The SrF molecules are efficiently generated by high-temperature chemical reaction of the solid precursor SrF(2) with boron in a graphite oven. The beam properties are characterized with laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopic method. We obtain a molecular flux of up to 2.1x10(15) sr(-1) s(-1) at the detection region for all rotational states. The dependence of the flux on oven temperature suggests that even higher flux is possible if a higher temperature in the oven is achieved.