title: Photodissociation of Trapped Rb_{2}^{+}: Implications for Simultaneous Trapping of Atoms and Molecular Ions.
abstract: The direct photodissociation of trapped ^{85}Rb_{2}^{+} (rubidium) molecular ions by the cooling light for the ^{85}Rb magneto-optical trap (MOT) is studied, both experimentally and theoretically. Vibrationally excited Rb_{2}^{+} ions are created by photoionization of Rb_{2} molecules formed photoassociatively in the Rb MOT and are trapped in a modified spherical Paul trap. The decay rate of the trapped Rb_{2}^{+} ion signal in the presence of the MOT cooling light is measured and agreement with our calculated rates for molecular ion photodissociation is observed. The photodissociation mechanism due to the MOT light is expected to be active and therefore universal for all homonuclear diatomic alkali metal molecular ions.
authors.affiliation: Raman Research Institute, C. V. Raman Avenue, Sadashivanagar, Bangalore 560080, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jyothi
authors.affiliation: Raman Research Institute, C. V. Raman Avenue, Sadashivanagar, Bangalore 560080, India.|Light-Matter Interactions Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa 904-495, Japan.
authors.forename: Tridib
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.affiliation: Raman Research Institute, C. V. Raman Avenue, Sadashivanagar, Bangalore 560080, India.
authors.forename: Sourav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dutta
authors.affiliation: Institut Lumière Matière, UMR5306 Université Lyon 1-CNRS, Université de Lyon, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Allouche
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Aimé Cotton, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, ENS Cachan, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay Cedex 91405, France.
authors.forename: Romain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vexiau
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Aimé Cotton, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, ENS Cachan, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay Cedex 91405, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dulieu
authors.affiliation: Raman Research Institute, C. V. Raman Avenue, Sadashivanagar, Bangalore 560080, India.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rangwala