Work

Isotopologue-selective laser cooling of molecules

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Direct laser cooling of molecules has made significant progress in recent years. However, the selective cooling and manipulation of generic molecular samples based on their isotopic composition, which is ubiquitous in atomic laser cooling, has not yet been achieved. Here, we demonstrate such isotopologue-selective laser cooling and near-arbitrary control over the isotopic composition of a molecular beam, using barium monofluoride (BaF) as an example. The manipulation of the rare and previously uncooled 136 BaF is achieved in the presence of several isotopologues of significantly higher natural abundance. Our results enable intense molecular beams, high fidelity detection and manipulation of select low-abundance isotopologues or isotopic mixtures. Such beams are a first step towards isotopologue-selective molecular trapping and will be useful for applications in trace gas analysis, cold collisions and precision tests of fundamental symmetries.

Source: New Journal of Physics

DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/ada3f0

Authors: Felix Kogel, Tatsam Garg, Marian Rockenhäuser, Sebastián A Morales-Ramírez, Tim Langen

Institutions: University of Stuttgart, Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, TU Wien, Vienna Center for Quantum Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,485

Funders: Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung, European Commission, Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg, H2020 European Research Council