Accumulation of cold cesium molecules via photoassociation in a mixed atomic and molecular trap.
We have realized a mixed atomic and molecular trap, constituted by a Cs vapor-cell magneto-optical trap and a quadrupolar magnetic C s(2) trap, using the same magnetic field gradient. We observed the trapping of 2x 10(5) molecules, formed and accumulated in the metastable a (3)Sigma(+ )(u) state at a temperature of 30+/-10 microK through a approximately 150 ms photoassociation process. The lifetime of the trapped molecular cloud limited by the Cs background gas pressure is on the order of 1 s.
Laboratoire Aimé Cotton, Bâtiment 505, Campus d'Orsay, 91405 Orsay cedex, France.
Nicolas
N
Vanhaecke
Wilson
W
De Souza Melo
Bruno
B
Laburthe Tolra
Daniel
D
Comparat
Pierre
P
Pillet