Enhanced light-assisted-collision rate via excitation to the long-lived 5S{sub 1/2}-5D{sub 5/2} molecular potential in an {sup 85}Rb magneto-optical trap

Journal Article · Tue Mar 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.83.033419· OSTI ID:21541324

Wilson, Truman M; Roberts, Jacob L ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 (United States)

We report measurements of a significant increase in the two-body loss rate in an {sup 85}Rb magneto-optic trap (MOT) caused by the addition of light resonant with the 5P{sub 3/2}-to-5D{sub 5/2} transition (776 nm) in Rb. Exposure to the additional light resulted in up to a factor of 5 decrease in the steady-state number of atoms in the MOT. This loss is attributed to more than an order of magnitude increase in the light-assisted collision rate brought about by the 776-nm light. By measuring the intensity dependence of the loss rate, the loss channel was identified to be the relatively long-lived 5S{sub 1/2}-5D{sub 5/2} molecular potential.

• OSTI ID: 21541324
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Vol. 83, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.83.033419; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 1050-2947
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOMS
COLLISIONS
EXCITATION
MOLECULES
POTENTIALS
RUBIDIUM 85
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
TRAPPING
TWO-BODY PROBLEM
VISIBLE RADIATION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MANY-BODY PROBLEM
NANOSECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
RADIATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
RUBIDIUM ISOTOPES
STABLE ISOTOPES