We have realized a high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer combined with a magneto-optical trap. The spectrometer enables excellent optical access to the trapped atomic cloud using specifically devised acceleration and deflection electrodes. The ions are extracted along a laser beam axis and deflected onto an off axis detector. The setup is applied to detect atoms and molecules photoassociated from ultracold atoms. The detection is based on resonance-enhanced multi-photon ionization. Mass resolution up to m/Delta m_rms = 1000 at the mass of 133Cs is achieved. The performance of this spectrometer is demonstrated in the detection of photoassociated ultracold 7Li133Cs molecules near a large signal of 133Cs ions.
@article{arxiv.physics/0504079,
title = {A high resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer for the detection of ultracold molecules},
author = {Stephan D. Kraft and Jochen Mikosch and Peter Staanum and Johannes Deiglmayr and Joerg Lange and Andrea Fioretti and Roland Wester and Matthias Weidemueller},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:physics/0504079},
year = {2011}
}