Continuous Centrifuge Decelerator for Polar Molecules


Abstract in English

Producing large samples of slow molecules from thermal-velocity ensembles is a formidable challenge. Here we employ a centrifugal force to produce a continuous molecular beam with a high flux at near-zero velocities. We demonstrate deceleration of three electrically guided molecular species, CH$_3$F, CF$_3$H, and CF$_3$CCH, with input velocities of up to $200,rm{m,s^{-1}}$ to obtain beams with velocities below $15,rm{m,s^{-1}}$ and intensities of several $10^9,rm{mm^{-2},s^{-1}}$. The centrifuge decelerator is easy to operate and can, in principle, slow down any guidable particle. It has the potential to become a standard technique for continuous deceleration of molecules.

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