Rotational State Microwave Mixing for Laser Cooling of Complex Diatomic Molecules

Mark Yeo, Matthew T. Hummon, Alejandra L. Collopy, Bo Yan, Boerge Hemmerling, Eunmi Chae, John M. Doyle, and Jun Ye
Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 223003 – Published 5 June 2015

Abstract

We demonstrate the mixing of rotational states in the ground electronic state using microwave radiation to enhance optical cycling in the molecule yttrium (II) monoxide (YO). This mixing technique is used in conjunction with a frequency modulated and chirped continuous wave laser to slow longitudinally a cryogenic buffer-gas beam of YO. We generate a flux of YO below 10m/s, directly loadable into a three-dimensional magneto-optical trap. This technique opens the door for laser cooling of diatomic molecules with more complex loss channels due to intermediate states.

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  • Received 19 January 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.223003

© 2015 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Mark Yeo1,*, Matthew T. Hummon1, Alejandra L. Collopy1, Bo Yan1, Boerge Hemmerling2,3, Eunmi Chae2,3, John M. Doyle2,3, and Jun Ye1

  • 1JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
  • 2Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
  • 3Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA

  • *yeoe@jila.colorado.edu

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Vol. 114, Iss. 22 — 5 June 2015

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