title: Efficient production of ground-state potassium molecules at sub-mK temperatures by two-step photoassociation
abstract: We have developed a two-step " R-transfer" method that efficiently produces translationally ultracold potassium molecules in the X (1)Sigma(+)(g) electronic ground state. Laser-cooled atoms are initially photoassociated at large internuclear separation R to form molecules in high vibrational levels of the 1 (1)Pi(g) state, which are in turn excited by an additional laser to shorter-range Rydberg states such as 5 (1)Pi(u) and 6 (1)Pi(u). Subsequent radiative decay produces ground-state molecules at rates up to 10(5) molecules/second per vibrational level.
authors.affiliation: University of Connecticut, Department of Physics, U-3046, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA.
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Nikolov
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ensher
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Eyler
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Stwalley
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Gould