In recent years, there has been notable progress in the preparation and control of ultracold gases of diatomic molecules. The next experimental challenge is the production of ultracold polyatomic molecular gases. Here, we report the creation of an ultracold gas of 23 Na 40 K 2 triatomic molecules from a mixture of ground-state sodium-23–potassium-40 ( 23 Na 40 K) molecules and potassium-40 ( 40 K) atoms. The triatomic molecules were created by adiabatic magneto-association through an atom–diatomic molecule Feshbach resonance. We obtained clear evidence for the creation of triatomic molecules by directly detecting them using radio-frequency dissociation. Approximately 4000 triatomic molecules with a high-peak phase-space density of 0.05 could be created. The ultracold triatomic molecules can serve as a launchpad to probe the three-body potential energy surface and may be used to prepare quantum degenerate triatomic molecular gases.In recent years, there has been notable progress in the preparation and control of ultracold gases of diatomic molecules. The next experimental challenge is the production of ultracold polyatomic molecular gases. Here, we report the creation of an ultracold gas of 23 Na 40 K 2 triatomic molecules from a mixture of ground-state sodium-23–potassium-40 ( 23 Na 40 K) molecules and potassium-40 ( 40 K) atoms. The triatomic molecules were created by adiabatic magneto-association through an atom–diatomic molecule Feshbach resonance. We obtained clear evidence for the creation of triatomic molecules by directly detecting them using radio-frequency dissociation. Approximately 4000 triatomic molecules with a high-peak phase-space density of 0.05 could be created. The ultracold triatomic molecules can serve as a launchpad to probe the three-body potential energy surface and may be used to prepare quantum degenerate triatomic molecular gases.

ScienceDec 1, 202239 citations

Ultracold molecules based on two-electron atoms

Gael Reinaudi, K. Bega, Tanya Zelevinsky

Bulletin of the American Physical SocietyMay 21, 20090 citations

Formation of ultracold molecules in chemical reactions

Timur V. Tscherbul, Ğirts Barinovs, Jacek A. Kłos +1 more

Bulletin of the American Physical SocietyMay 30, 20080 citations

Conversion of an Atomic Fermi Gas to a Long-Lived Molecular Bose Gas

Kevin E. Strecker, Guthrie B. Partridge, Randall G. Hulet

We have converted an ultracold Fermi gas of $^{6}\mathrm{L}\mathrm{i}$ atoms into an ultracold gas of $^{6}\mathrm{L}\mathrm{i}_{2}$ molecules by adiabatic passage through a Feshbach resonance. Approximately $1.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{5}$ molecules in the least-bound, $v=38$ , vibrational level of the ${X}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{g}^{+}$ singlet state are produced with an efficiency of 50%. The molecules remain confined in an optical trap for times of up to 1 s before we dissociate them by a reverse adiabatic sweep.We have converted an ultracold Fermi gas of $^{6}\mathrm{L}\mathrm{i}$ atoms into an ultracold gas of $^{6}\mathrm{L}\mathrm{i}_{2}$ molecules by adiabatic passage through a Feshbach resonance. Approximately $1.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{5}$ molecules in the least-bound, $v=38$, vibrational level of the ${X}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{g}^{+}$ singlet state are produced with an efficiency of 50%. The molecules remain confined in an optical trap for times of up to 1 s before we dissociate them by a reverse adiabatic sweep.

arXiv:cond-mat/0308318Physical Review LettersAug 22, 2003545 citations

Shortcut to a Fermi-Degenerate Gas of Molecules via Cooperative Association

Olavi Dannenberg, Matt Mackie, Kalle‐Antti Suominen

We theoretically examine the creation of a Fermi-degenerate gas of molecules by considering a photoassociation or Feshbach resonance applied to a degenerate Bose-Fermi mixture of atoms. This problem raises interest because, unlike bosons, fermions in general do not behave cooperatively, so that the collective conversion of a degenerate gas atoms into a macroscopic number of diatomic molecules is not to be expected. Nevertheless, we find that the coupled Fermi system displays collective Rabi-like oscillations and a rapid adiabatic passage between atoms and molecules, thereby mimicking Bose-Einstein statistics. Cooperative association of a degenerate mixture of Bose and Fermi gases could therefore serve as a shortcut to a degenerate gas of Fermi molecules.We theoretically examine the creation of a Fermi-degenerate gas of molecules by considering a photoassociation or Feshbach resonance applied to a degenerate Bose-Fermi mixture of atoms. This problem raises interest because, unlike bosons, fermions in general do not behave cooperatively, so that the collective conversion of a degenerate gas atoms into a macroscopic number of diatomic molecules is not to be expected. Nevertheless, we find that the coupled Fermi system displays collective Rabi-like oscillations and a rapid adiabatic passage between atoms and molecules, thereby mimicking Bose-Einstein statistics. Cooperative association of a degenerate mixture of Bose and Fermi gases could therefore serve as a shortcut to a degenerate gas of Fermi molecules.

arXiv:physics/0304012Physical Review LettersNov 21, 200317 citations

FORMING ULTRACOLD MOLECULES

Robin Côté

Dalgarno Celebratory SymposiumNov 1, 20090 citations

We have converted an ultracold Fermi gas of

^{6}\mathrm{L}\mathrm{i}

atoms into an ultracold gas of

^{6}\mathrm{L}\mathrm{i}_{2}

molecules by adiabatic passage through a Feshbach resonance. Approximately $1.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{5}$ molecules in the least-bound,

v=38

, vibrational level of the ${X}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{g}^{+}$ singlet state are produced with an efficiency of 50%. The molecules remain confined in an optical trap for times of up to 1 s before we dissociate them by a reverse adiabatic sweep.