Optical Production of Ultracold Polar Molecules


Abstract in English

We demonstrate the production of ultracold polar RbCs molecules in their vibronic ground state, via photoassociation of laser-cooled atoms followed by a laser-stimulated state transfer process. The resulting sample of $X ^1Sigma^+ (v=0)$ molecules has a translational temperature of $sim100 mu$K and a narrow distribution of rotational states. With the method described here it should be possible to produce samples even colder in all degrees of freedom, as well as other bi-alkali species.

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