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MO: Molekülphysik

MO 52: Cold molecules I

MO 52.5: Vortrag

Donnerstag, 16. März 2006, 11:55–12:10, H10

Development of traps for ground-state molecules — •Melanie Schnell, Peter Lützow, Jacqueline van Veldhoven, Bretislav Friedrich, and Gerard Meijer — Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Abt. Molekülphysik, Faradayweg 4-6, 14195 Berlin

Cold molecules offer unique possibilities for studying cold collisions, molecular Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC), or performing high-resolution spectroscopy experiments. For these experiments confining molecules in a trap is either necessary or will enhance the potential of the method considerably. We are developing traps for molecules in high-field seeking (hfs) states, since states of larger molecules as well as the ground state of any molecule will always be hfs. Since in such a trap it is possible to confine the molecular ground state it will also be possible to increase their phase-space density via evaporative cooling, as trap loss due to inelastic collisions can be avoided.

The generation of a static electric field maximum in free space is impossible, so that traps for molecules in hfs states have to employ time-dependency. Here we report on the development of different kinds of traps for molecules in hfs states. One kind considers switched static electric fields (ac traps) while another approach consists of a deep trap for ground-state molecules using near-resonant microwave radiation. Molecules in hfs states will be trapped in the amplitude maximum of the standing wave microwave field in an open near-confocal Fabry-Perot type resonator. Besides the characterization of the traps we will present prospects for their applications in high-resolution spectroscopic studies and for evaporative cooling experiments.