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Pendular trapping conditions for ultracold polar molecules enforced by external electric fields

Quantum Physics 2017-08-29 v1

Abstract

We theoretically investigate trapping conditions for ultracold polar molecules in optical lattices, when external magnetic and electric fields are simultaneously applied. Our results are based on an accurate electronic-structure calculation of the polar 23^{23}Na40^{40}K polar molecule in its absolute ground state combined with a calculation of its rovibrational-hyperfine motion. We find that an electric field strength of 5.26(15)5.26(15) kV/cm and an angle of 54.754.7^\circ between this field and the polarization of the optical laser lead to a trapping design for 23^{23}Na40^{40}K molecules where decoherences due laser-intensity fluctuations and fluctuations in the direction of its polarization are kept to a minimum. One standard deviation systematic and statistical uncertainties are given in parenthesis. Under such conditions pairs of hyperfine-rotational states of v=0v=0 molecules, used to induce tunable dipole-dipole interactions between them, experience ultrastable, matching trapping forces.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1703.03839,
  title  = {Pendular trapping conditions for ultracold polar molecules enforced by external electric fields},
  author = {Ming Li and Alexander Petrov and Constantinos Makrides and Eite Tiesinga and Svetlana Kotochigova},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1703.03839},
  year   = {2017}
}