Related papers: Magnetically-Trapped Molecules Efficiently Loaded …
Direct laser cooling of molecules has reached a phase space density exceeding 10$^{-6}$ in optical traps, but with rather small molecular numbers. To progress towards quantum degeneracy, a mechanism is needed that combines sub-Doppler…
Molecular magneto-optical traps (MOTs) typically capture orders of magnitude fewer particles than their atomic counterparts due in part to their significantly lower capture velocities. Here, we employ a Stochastic Schr\"odinger Equation…
Recent experiments have demonstrated direct cooling and trapping of diatomic and triatomic molecules in magneto-optical traps (MOTs). However, even the best molecular MOTs to date still have density $10^{-5}$ times smaller than in typical…
We report optical trapping of laser-cooled molecules at sufficient density to observe molecule-molecule collisions for the first time in a bulk gas. SrF molecules from a red-detuned magneto-optical trap (MOT) are compressed and cooled in a…
We present the properties of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) of CaF molecules. We study the process of loading the MOT from a decelerated buffer-gas-cooled beam, and how best to slow this molecular beam in order to capture the most molecules.…
Laser cooling and trapping are central to modern atomic physics. The workhorse technique in cold-atom physics is the magneto-optical trap (MOT), which combines laser cooling with a restoring force from radiation pressure. For a variety of…
We have realized a scheme for continuous loading of a magnetic trap (MT). ^{52}Cr atoms are continuously captured and cooled in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). Optical pumping to a metastable state decouples atoms from the cooling light. Due…
We present experimental results from a new scheme for magneto-optically trapping strontium monofluoride (SrF) molecules, which provides increased confinement compared to our original work. The improved trap employs a new approach to…
We demonstrate loading of SrF molecules into an optical dipole trap (ODT) via in-trap $\Lambda$-cooling. We find that this cooling can be optimized by a proper choice of relative ODT and $\Lambda$ beam polarizations. In this optimized…
We demonstrate significantly improved magneto-optical trapping of molecules using a very slow cryogenic beam source and RF modulated and DC magnetic fields. The RF MOT confines $1.1(3) \times 10^5$ CaF molecules at a density of $4(1) \times…
Calcium monofluoride (CaF) is magnetically slowed and trapped using optical pumping. Starting from a collisionally cooled slow beam, CaF with an initial velocity of ~ 30 m/s is slowed via magnetic forces as it enters a 800 mK deep magnetic…
Optically trapped laser-cooled polar molecules hold promise for new science and technology in quantum information and quantum simulation. Large numerical aperture optical access and long trap lifetimes are needed for many studies, but these…
A key method to produce trapped and laser-cooled molecules is the magneto-optical trap (MOT), which is conventionally created using light red-detuned from an optical transition. In this work, we report a MOT for CaF molecules created using…
Magneto-optical trapping of molecules has thus far been restricted to molecules with $^2\Sigma$ electronic ground states. These species are chemically reactive and only support a simple laser cooling scheme from their first excited…
Diatomic molecules are promising systems for quantum science applications due to their complex energy structures and strong dipole-dipole interactions. Achieving ultracold temperatures is essential for these applications, but the complexity…
We have studied magneto-optical traps (MOTs) for efficient on-line trapping of radioactive atoms. After discussing a model of the trapping process in a vapor cell and its efficiency, we present the results of detailed experimental studies…
Direct laser cooling and trapping of molecules to temperature below Doppler limit and density exceeding $10^8$ are challenging due to the sub-Doppler heating effects of molecular magneto-optical trap (MOT). In our previous paper [1], we…
We simulate the capture process of MgF molecules into a frequency-chirped molecular MOT. Our calculations show that by chirping the frequency, the MOT capture velocity is increased by about of factor of 4 to 80 m/s, allowing for direct…
Calcium monofluoride (CaF) molecules are loaded into an optical dipole trap (ODT) and subsequently laser cooled within the trap. Starting with magneto-optical trapping, we sub-Doppler cool CaF and then load $150(30)$ CaF molecules into an…
We have directly loaded a cryogenic beam of molybdenum atoms into a magneto-optical trap. By chirping the detuning of the trapping lasers, we were able to enhance the number of atoms loaded into the trap by more than a factor of two. We…