Photoassociation of sodium in a Bose-Einstein condensate.
We form ultracold Na2 molecules by single-photon photoassociation of a Bose-Einstein condensate, measuring the photoassociation rate, linewidth, and light shift of the J = 1, v = 135 vibrational level of the A1 Sigma (+)(u) molecular state. The photoassociation rate constant increases linearly with intensity, even where it is predicted that many-body effects might limit the rate. Our observations are in good agreement with a two-body theory having no free parameters.
McKenzie
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National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA.
Hecker Denschlag
J
J
Häffner
H
H
Browaeys
A
A
de Araujo
Luís E E
LE
Fatemi
F K
FK
Jones
K M
KM
Simsarian
J E
JE
Cho
D
D
Simoni
A
A
Tiesinga
E
E
Julienne
P S
PS
Helmerson
K
K
Lett
P D
PD
Rolston
S L
SL
Phillips
W D
WD