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Title: Micro-Kelvin cold molecules.

Abstract

We have developed a novel experimental technique for direct production of cold molecules using a combination of techniques from atomic optical and molecular physics and physical chemistry. The ability to produce samples of cold molecules has application in a broad spectrum of technical fields high-resolution spectroscopy, remote sensing, quantum computing, materials simulation, and understanding fundamental chemical dynamics. Researchers around the world are currently exploring many techniques for producing samples of cold molecules, but to-date these attempts have offered only limited success achieving milli-Kelvin temperatures with low densities. This Laboratory Directed Research and Development project is to develops a new experimental technique for producing micro-Kelvin temperature molecules via collisions with laser cooled samples of trapped atoms. The technique relies on near mass degenerate collisions between the molecule of interest and a laser cooled (micro-Kelvin) atom. A subset of collisions will transfer all (nearly all) of the kinetic energy from the 'hot' molecule, cooling the molecule at the expense of heating the atom. Further collisions with the remaining laser cooled atoms will thermally equilibrate the molecules to the micro-Kelvin temperature of the laser-cooled atoms.

Authors:
;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
986607
Report Number(s):
SAND2009-7041
TRN: US201018%%347
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; ATOMS; HEATING; KINETIC ENERGY; LASERS; PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY; PHYSICS; PRODUCTION; QUANTUM COMPUTERS; REMOTE SENSING; SIMULATION; SPECTROSCOPY; Molecules-Magnetic properties.; Molecules-Spectroscopic analysis.; Cold molecules

Citation Formats

Strecker, Kevin E, and Chandler, David W. Micro-Kelvin cold molecules.. United States: N. p., 2009. Web. doi:10.2172/986607.
Strecker, Kevin E, & Chandler, David W. Micro-Kelvin cold molecules.. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/986607
Strecker, Kevin E, and Chandler, David W. 2009. "Micro-Kelvin cold molecules.". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/986607. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/986607.
@article{osti_986607,
title = {Micro-Kelvin cold molecules.},
author = {Strecker, Kevin E and Chandler, David W},
abstractNote = {We have developed a novel experimental technique for direct production of cold molecules using a combination of techniques from atomic optical and molecular physics and physical chemistry. The ability to produce samples of cold molecules has application in a broad spectrum of technical fields high-resolution spectroscopy, remote sensing, quantum computing, materials simulation, and understanding fundamental chemical dynamics. Researchers around the world are currently exploring many techniques for producing samples of cold molecules, but to-date these attempts have offered only limited success achieving milli-Kelvin temperatures with low densities. This Laboratory Directed Research and Development project is to develops a new experimental technique for producing micro-Kelvin temperature molecules via collisions with laser cooled samples of trapped atoms. The technique relies on near mass degenerate collisions between the molecule of interest and a laser cooled (micro-Kelvin) atom. A subset of collisions will transfer all (nearly all) of the kinetic energy from the 'hot' molecule, cooling the molecule at the expense of heating the atom. Further collisions with the remaining laser cooled atoms will thermally equilibrate the molecules to the micro-Kelvin temperature of the laser-cooled atoms.},
doi = {10.2172/986607},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/986607}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2009},
month = {Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2009}
}