Abstract
We demonstrate the formation of a single NaCs molecule in an optical tweezer by magnetoassociation through an -wave Feshbach resonance at 864.11(5) G. Starting from single atoms cooled to their motional ground states, we achieve conversion efficiencies of 47(1)%, and measure a molecular lifetime of 4.7(7) ms. By construction, the single molecules are predominantly [77(5)%] in the center-of-mass motional ground state of the tweezer. Furthermore, we produce a single -wave molecule near 807 G by first preparing one of the atoms with one quantum of motional excitation. Our creation of a single weakly bound molecule in a designated internal state in the motional ground state of an optical tweezer is a crucial step towards coherent control of single molecules in optical tweezer arrays.
- Received 18 March 2020
- Accepted 21 May 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.253401
© 2020 American Physical Society
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
synopsis
Longer Lived Molecules
Published 25 June 2020
Researchers merge two atoms into a molecule that has a precise, reversible quantum state and that lives long enough to measure.
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