dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaMicrowave traps for cold polar molecules
| Authors | D. DeMille, D. R. Glenn, J. Petricka |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0407038 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0407038 |
| DOI | 10.1140/epjd/e2004-00163-6 |
Abstract
We discuss the possibility of trapping polar molecules in the standing-wave electromagnetic field of a microwave resonant cavity. Such a trap has several novel features that make it very attractive for the development of ultracold molecule sources. Using commonly available technologies, microwave traps can be built with large depth (up to several Kelvin) and acceptance volume (up to several cm^3), suitable for efficient loading with currently available sources of cold polar molecules. Unlike most previous traps for molecules, this technology can be used to confine the strong-field seeking absolute ground state of the molecule, in a free-space maximum of the microwave electric field. Such ground state molecules should be immune to inelastic collisional losses. We calculate elastic collision cross-sections for the trapped molecules, due to the electrical polarization of the molecules at the trap center, and find that they are extraordinarily large. Thus, molecules in a microwave trap should be very amenable to sympathetic and/or evaporative cooling. The combination of these properties seems to open a clear path to producing large samples of polar molecules at temperatures much lower than has been possible previously.
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"abstract": "We discuss the possibility of trapping polar molecules in the standing-wave\nelectromagnetic field of a microwave resonant cavity. Such a trap has several\nnovel features that make it very attractive for the development of ultracold\nmolecule sources. Using commonly available technologies, microwave traps can be\nbuilt with large depth (up to several Kelvin) and acceptance volume (up to\nseveral cm^3), suitable for efficient loading with currently available sources\nof cold polar molecules. Unlike most previous traps for molecules, this\ntechnology can be used to confine the strong-field seeking absolute ground\nstate of the molecule, in a free-space maximum of the microwave electric field.\nSuch ground state molecules should be immune to inelastic collisional losses.\nWe calculate elastic collision cross-sections for the trapped molecules, due to\nthe electrical polarization of the molecules at the trap center, and find that\nthey are extraordinarily large. Thus, molecules in a microwave trap should be\nvery amenable to sympathetic and/or evaporative cooling. The combination of\nthese properties seems to open a clear path to producing large samples of polar\nmolecules at temperatures much lower than has been possible previously.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0407038",
"authors": [
"D. DeMille",
"D. R. Glenn",
"J. Petricka"
],
"categories": [
"physics.atom-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1140/epjd/e2004-00163-6",
"title": "Microwave traps for cold polar molecules",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0407038"
},
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