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Alternating-gradient focusing and deceleration of large molecules

Kirstin Wohlfart, Fabian Grätz, Frank Filsinger, Henrik Haak, Gerard Meijer, and Jochen Küpper
Phys. Rev. A 77, 031404(R) – Published 24 March 2008

Abstract

We have focused and decelerated benzonitrile (C7H5N) molecules from a molecular beam, using an array of time-varying inhomogeneous electric fields in alternating-gradient configuration. Benzonitrile is prototypical for large asymmetric top molecules that exhibit rich rotational structure and a high density of states. At the rotational temperature of 3.5K in the pulsed molecular beam, many rotational states are populated. Benzonitrile molecules in their absolute ground state are decelerated from 320to289ms, and similar changes in velocity are obtained for excited rotational states. All measurements agree well with the outcome of trajectory calculations. These experiments demonstrate that such large polyatomic molecules are amenable to the powerful method of Stark deceleration.

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  • Received 26 November 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.77.031404

©2008 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Kirstin Wohlfart, Fabian Grätz, Frank Filsinger, Henrik Haak, Gerard Meijer, and Jochen Küpper*

  • Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Faradayweg 4-6, 14195 Berlin, Germany

  • *Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: jochen@fhi-berlin.mpg.de

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Issue

Vol. 77, Iss. 3 — March 2008

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