Triplet-singlet conversion in ultracold Cs{sub 2} and production of ground-state molecules

Journal Article · Tue Feb 15 04:00:00 EST 2011 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.83.022503· OSTI ID:21537150

Bouloufa, Nadia; Aymar, Mireille; Dulieu, Olivier ^[1]; Pichler, Marin ^[2]

---

1. Laboratoire Aime Cotton, CNRS, Universite Paris-Sud, Bat. 505, F-91405 Orsay (France)
2. Physics Department, Goucher College, Baltimore, Maryland 21204 (United States)

We propose a process to convert ultracold metastable Cs{sub 2} molecules in their lowest triplet state into (singlet) ground-state molecules in their lowest vibrational levels. Molecules are first pumped into an excited triplet state, and the triplet-singlet conversion is facilitated by a two-step spontaneous decay through the coupled A {sup 1{Sigma}}{sub u}{sup +}-b {sup 3{Pi}}{sub u} states. Using spectroscopic data and accurate quantum chemistry calculations for Cs{sub 2} potential curves and transition dipole moments, we show that this process competes favorably with the single-photon decay back to the lowest triplet state. In addition, we demonstrate that this conversion process represents a loss channel for vibrational cooling of metastable triplet molecules, preventing an efficient optical pumping cycle down to low vibrational levels.

• OSTI ID: 21537150
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Journal Name: Physical Review. A Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 83; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ALKALI METALS
BOSONS
CESIUM
DECAY
DIPOLE MOMENTS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
EXCITED STATES
GROUND STATES
MASSLESS PARTICLES
METALS
METASTABLE STATES
MOLECULES
MULTIPLETS
OPTICAL PUMPING
PHOTONS
PUMPING
TRIPLETS