No Arabic abstract
In addition to being suitable for laser cooling and trapping in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) using a relatively broad ($sim$5 MHz) transition, the molecule YO possesses a narrow-line transition. This forbidden transition between the $X^{2}Sigma$ and $A^{2}Delta_{3/2}$ states has linewidth $sim$2$pitimes$160 kHz. After cooling in a MOT on the $X^{2}Sigma$ to $A^{2}Pi_{1/2}$ (orange) transition, the narrow (red) transition can be used to further cool the sample, requiring only minimal additions to the first stage system. The narrow line cooling stage will bring the temperature from $sim$1 mK to $sim$10 $mu$K, significantly advancing the frontier on direct cooling achievable for molecules.
We propose and experimentally investigate a scheme for narrow-line cooling of KRb molecules in the rovibrational ground state. We show that the spin-forbidden $mathrm{X^1Sigma^+} rightarrow mathrm{b^3Pi_{0^+}}$ transition of KRb is ideal for realizing narrow-line laser cooling of molecules because it has highly diagonal Franck-Condon factors and narrow linewidth. In order to confirm the prediction, we performed the optical and microwave spectroscopy of ultracold $^{41}$K$^{87}$Rb molecules, and determined the linewidth ($2pitimes$ 4.9(4) kHz) and Franck-Condon factors for the $mathrm{X^1Sigma^+} (v=0) rightarrow mathrm{b^3Pi_{0^+}} (v=0)$ transition (0.9474(1)). This result opens the door towards all-optical production of polar molecules at sub-microkelvin temperatures.
We report on the experimental realization of a robust and efficient magneto-optical trap for erbium atoms, based on a narrow cooling transition at 583nm. We observe up to $N=2 times 10^{8}$ atoms at a temperature of about $T=15 mu K$. This simple scheme provides better starting conditions for direct loading of dipole traps as compared to approaches based on the strong cooling transition alone, or on a combination of a strong and a narrow kHz transition. Our results on Er point to a general, simple and efficient approach to laser cool samples of other lanthanide atoms (Ho, Dy, and Tm) for the production of quantum-degenerate samples.
We present measurements of the hyperfine coefficients and isotope shifts of the Dy I $683.731 $nm transition, using saturated absorption spectroscopy on an atomic beam. A King Plot is drawn resulting in an updated value for the specific mass shift $delta u_mathrm{684,sms}^mathrm{164-162}=-534 pm 17 MHz$. Using fluorescence spectroscopy we measure the excited state lifetime $tau_{684}=1.68(5) mu$s, yielding a linewidth of $gamma_mathrm{684} = 95 pm 3 kHz$. We give an upper limit to the branching ratio between the two decay channels from the excited state showing that this transition is useable for optical pumping into a dark state and demagnetization cooling.
We describe experiments demonstrating efficient transfer of molecules from a magneto-optical trap (MOT) into a conservative magnetic quadrupole trap. Our scheme begins with a blue-detuned optical molasses to cool SrF molecules to $sim!50$ $mu$K. Next, we optically pump the molecules into a strongly-trapped sublevel. This two-step process reliably transfers $64%$ of the molecules initially trapped in the MOT into the magnetic trap, comparable to similar atomic experiments. Once loaded, the magnetic trap is compressed by increasing the magnetic field gradient. Finally, we demonstrate a magnetic trap lifetime of over $1$ s. This opens a promising new path to the study of ultracold molecular collisions, and potentially the production of quantum-degenerate molecular gases.
A mixed system of cooled and trapped, ions and atoms, paves the way for ion assisted cold chemistry and novel many body studies. Due to the different individual trapping mechanisms, trapped atoms are significantly colder than trapped ions, therefore in the combined system, the strong binary ion$-$atom interaction results in heat flow from ions to atoms. Conversely, trapped ions can also get collisionally heated by the cold atoms, making the resulting equilibrium between ions and atoms intriguing. Here we experimentally demonstrate, Rubidium ions (Rb$^+$) cool in contact with magneto-optically trapped (MOT) Rb atoms, contrary to the general expectation of ion heating for equal ion and atom masses. The cooling mechanism is explained theoretically and substantiated with numerical simulations. The importance of resonant charge exchange (RCx) collisions, which allows swap cooling of ions with atoms, wherein a single glancing collision event brings a fast ion to rest, is discussed.