A pathway to ultracold bosonic (NaK)-Na-23-K-39 ground state molecules

Year: 2019

Authors: Voges K. K., Gersema P., Hartmann T., Schulze T.A., Zenesini A., Ospelkaus S.

Autors Affiliation: Institut für Quantenoptik, Leibniz Universität Hannover, D-30167, Hannover, Germany

Abstract: We spectroscopically investigate a pathway for the conversion of (NaK)-Na-23-K-39 Feshbach molecules into rovibronic ground state molecules via stimulated Raman adiabatic passage. Using photoassociation spectroscopy from the diatomic scattering threshold in the a(3)Sigma(+) potential, we locate the resonantly mixed electronically excited intermediate states vertical bar B-1 Pi, v = 8 > and vertical bar c(3)Sigma(+), v = 30 > which, due to their singlet-triplet admixture, serve as an ideal bridge between predominantly a(3)Sigma(+) Feshbach molecules and pure X-1 Sigma(+) ground state molecules. We investigate their hyperfine structure and present a simple model to determine the singlet-triplet coupling of these states. Using Autler-Townes spectroscopy, we locate the rovibronic ground state of the (NaK)-Na-23-K-39 molecule (|X-1 Sigma(+), v = 0, N = 0 >) and the second rotationally excited stateN.=. 2 to unambiguously identify the ground state. Wealso extract the effective transition dipole moment from the excited to the ground state. Our investigations result in a fully characterized scheme for the creation of ultracold bosonic (NaK)-Na-23-K-39 ground state molecules.

Journal/Review: NEW JOURNAL OF PHYSICS

Volume: 21(12)      Pages from: 123034-1  to: 123034-7

More Information: Wethank Eberhard Tiemann for enlightening discussions and suggestions. Wegratefully acknowledge financial support from the European Research Council through ERC Starting Grant POLAR and from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) through CRC1227 (DQ-mat), project A03 and FOR2247, project E5. KKVand PG thank the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft for financial support through Research Training Group (RTG) 1991.
KeyWords: STIRAP; molecular spectroscopy; ultracold polar molecules; bosonic quantum gases
DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/ab5f31