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arXiv · 1206.0417

Optical Production of Stable Ultracold $^{88}$Sr$_2$ Molecules

G. Reinaudi·C. B. Osborn·M. McDonald·S. Kotochigova·T. Zelevinsky
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Abstract

We have produced large samples of ultracold $^{88}$Sr$_2$ molecules in the electronic ground state in an optical lattice. The molecules are bound by 0.05 cm$^{-1}$ and are stable for several milliseconds. The fast, all-optical method of molecule creation via intercombination line photoassociation relies on a near-unity Franck-Condon factor. The detection uses a weakly bound vibrational level corresponding to a very large dimer. This is the first of two steps needed to create Sr$_2$ in the absolute ground quantum state. Lattice-trapped Sr$_2$ is of interest to frequency metrology and ultracold chemistry.

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G. Reinaudi, C. B. Osborn, M. McDonald, S. Kotochigova, T. Zelevinsky. 2012-09-23. Optical Production of Stable Ultracold $^{88}$Sr$_2$ Molecules. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.109.115303

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