Frankfurt 2006 – scientific programme

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MO: Molekülphysik

MO 54: Cold Molecules II

MO 54.3: Talk

Thursday, March 16, 2006, 14:30–14:45, H10

Collision Observed in a Supersonic Atomic-molecular Beam of K — •I. Sherstov, S. Liu, H. Knöckel, and E. Tiemann — Institut für Quantenoptik, Universität Hannover, Welfengarten 1, 30167 Hannover

We apply matter wave interferometry method implemented for Potassium molecules to investigate cold collision between Potassium atoms and molecules. Our goal is to interpret these observations with the interaction potential between K and K₂.

We use supersonic expansion to create an atomic beam with a few percent of K₂ molecules diluted in it. K₂ molecules propagate within an atomic medium and hence gain some additional phase shift due to cold collisions with the atoms. By changing the properties of the medium (like exciting K atoms to a higher electronic state or varying the density of the atoms in the beam) a change of the phase and amplitude of the interference patterns is expected. By deflecting atoms out of molecular beam we were able to change the atomic density by one order of magnitude and observed a phase shift of the interference structure relating to a pressure shift in the order of 10 kHz for molecular transition of Potassium.