One-photon-assisted formation of ultracold polar molecules

Journal Article · Sat Apr 15 04:00:00 EDT 2006 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.73.0· OSTI ID:20787044

Juarros, Elizabeth; Pellegrini, Philippe; Cote, Robin ^[1]; Kirby, Kate ^[2]

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1. Physics Department, University of Connecticut, 2152 Hillside Road, Storrs, Connecticut 06269-3046 (United States)
2. ITAMP, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 (United States)

Alkali-metal hydride molecules have large dipole moments in their ground electronic states. We explore the possibility of forming such molecules from a mixture of the ultracold atomic gases, employing a one-photon stimulated radiative association process. Using accurate molecular potential-energy curves and dipole moments, we have calculated the rate coefficients for populating each of the vibrational levels of the X {sup 1}{sigma}{sup +} states of LiH and NaH. We have found that significant molecule formation rates into the upper vibrational levels can be realized with laser intensities and atomic densities that are easily attainable experimentally. We examine the spontaneous emission cascade which takes place from these upper vibrational levels on a time scale of milliseconds, and calculate the resulting rotational populations in v=0. We show that photon emission in the cascade process does not contribute to trap loss and that a large population of molecules in v=0 can be achieved.

• OSTI ID: 20787044
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Journal Name: Physical Review. A Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 73; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ALKALI METALS
DENSITY
DIPOLE MOMENTS
GROUND STATES
LASER RADIATION
LITHIUM HYDRIDES
MIXTURES
MOLECULES
PHOTON EMISSION
PHOTON-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
PHOTONS
POTENTIAL ENERGY
REACTION KINETICS
ROTATIONAL STATES
SODIUM HYDRIDES
TRAPS
VIBRATIONAL STATES