Applications of cold atoms and molecules

Hélène Perrin, P. Lemonde, Franck Pereira dos Santos +4 more

In this review, we discuss the impact of the development of lasers on ultra-cold atoms and molecules and their applications. After a brief historical review of laser cooling and Bose–Einstein condensation, we present important applications of ultra-cold atoms, including time and frequency metrology, atom interferometry and inertial sensors, atom lasers, simulation of condensed matter systems, production and study of strongly correlated systems, and production of ultra-cold molecules.

Nikolai G. Basov, É. M. Belenov, M A Gubin +2 more

Masatoshi Kajita

Cold Atoms and Molecules introduces the preparation, measurement, properties and applications of ultra-cold atoms and molecules at a level accessible to advanced undergraduate students or for researchers approaching the subject from different specialities.

Jean Dalibard, Christophe Salomon

Sebastian Jung, E. Tiemann, Christian Lisdat

Using the example of the $\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ molecule, we will discuss photodissociation at threshold as a possibility for producing cold molecules or atoms. The fragments SO and O have low excess energy and are free radicals with high interest for applications like cold chemistry. The threshold behavior is tunable by external fields and shows great similarity to Feshbach resonance studies in cold atom collisions. To take full advantage of the cold fragmentation, it is necessary to dissociate within a cold sample of molecules. In our initial experiments we have demonstrated substantial Stark deceleration of $\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$.

Ziv Meir, Dongdong Zhang, Stefan Willitsch