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Coherent Microwave Control of Ultracold Na23K40 Molecules

Sebastian A. Will, Jee Woo Park, Zoe Z. Yan, Huanqian Loh, and Martin W. Zwierlein
Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 225306 – Published 3 June 2016
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Abstract

We demonstrate coherent microwave control of rotational and hyperfine states of trapped, ultracold, and chemically stable Na23K40 molecules. Starting with all molecules in the absolute rovibrational and hyperfine ground state, we study rotational transitions in combined magnetic and electric fields and explain the rich hyperfine structure. Following the transfer of the entire molecular ensemble into a single hyperfine level of the first rotationally excited state, J=1, we observe lifetimes of more than 3 s, comparable to those in the rovibrational ground state, J=0. Long-lived ensembles and full quantum state control are prerequisites for the use of ultracold molecules in quantum simulation, precision measurements, and quantum information processing.

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  • Received 1 April 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.225306

© 2016 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Atomic, Molecular & Optical

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Taming Ultracold Molecules

Published 3 June 2016

Riding the coattails of cold atomic physics, researchers have demonstrated the ability to steer cold molecules into desired quantum states.

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Authors & Affiliations

Sebastian A. Will1, Jee Woo Park1, Zoe Z. Yan1, Huanqian Loh1,2, and Martin W. Zwierlein1

  • 1MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms, Research Laboratory of Electronics, and Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
  • 2Center for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 2, 117543, Singapore

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Issue

Vol. 116, Iss. 22 — 3 June 2016

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