Dark resonances for ground-state transfer of molecular quantum gases

M. J. Mark, J. G. Danzl, E. Haller, M. Gustavsson, N. Bouloufa, O. Dulieu, H. Salami, T. Bergeman, H. Ritsch, R. Hart, H.-C. Nägerl

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Abstract

One possible way to produce ultra-cold, high-phase-space-density quantum gases of molecules in the rovibronic ground state is given by molecule association from quantum-degenerate atomic gases on a Feshbach resonance and subsequent coherent optical multi-photon transfer into the rovibronic ground state. In ultra-cold samples of Cs(2) molecules, we observe two-photon dark resonances that connect the intermediate rovibrational level vertical bar v=73,J=2 > with the rovibrational ground state vertical bar v=0,J=0 > of the singlet X (1) I pound (g) (+) ground-state potential. For precise dark resonance spectroscopy we exploit the fact that it is possible to efficiently populate the level vertical bar v=73,J=2 > by two-photon transfer from the dissociation threshold with the stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) technique. We find that at least one of the two-photon resonances is sufficiently strong to allow future implementation of coherent STIRAP transfer of a molecular quantum gas to the rovibrational ground state vertical bar v=0,J=0 >.
Original languageUndefined/Unknown
Pages (from-to)219-225
Number of pages7
JournalApplied Physics B: Lasers and Optics
Volume95
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Feb 2009

Keywords

  • molecular quantum gases
  • dark resonances
  • optics

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