Formation of ultracold RbCs molecules by photoassociation

Year: 2012

Authors: Bouloufa N., Aymar M., Dulieu O., Gabbanini C.

Autors Affiliation: Laboratoire Aime Cotton, CNRS, Bât. 505, Univ. Paris-Sud, F-91405 Orsay Cedex, France; Université Cergy-Pontoise, 95000 Cergy-Pontoise, France; Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, INO-CNR, U.O.S. Pisa Adriano Gozzini, Via G.Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy

Abstract: The formation of ultracold metastable RbCs molecules is observed in a double species magneto-optical trap through photoassociation below the Rb-85(5S(1/2)) + Cs-133(6P(3/2)) dissociation limit followed by spontaneous emission. The molecules are detected by resonance enhanced two-photon ionization. Using accurate quantum chemistry calculations of the potential energy curves and transition dipole moment, we interpret the observed photoassociation process as occurring at short internuclear distance, in contrast with most previous cold atom photoassociation studies. The vibrational levels excited by photoassociation belong to the 5th 0(+) or the 4th 0(-) electronic states correlated to the Rb(5P(1/2, 3/2)) + Cs(6S(1/2)) dissociation limit. The computed vibrational distribution of the produced molecules shows that they are stabilized in deeply bound vibrational states of the lowest triplet state. We also predict that a noticeable fraction of molecules is produced in the lowest level of the electronic ground state.

Journal/Review: LASER PHYSICS

Volume: 22 (10)      Pages from: 1502  to: 1512

KeyWords: ultracold molecules
DOI: 10.1134/S1054660X12100039

Citations: 20
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