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Magnetic trapping of buffer-gas cooled chromium atoms and prospects for the extension to paramagnetic molecules

Joost M. Bakker·Michael Stoll·Dennis R. Weise·Oliver Vogelsang·Gerard Meijer·Achim Peters
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Abstract

We report the successful buffer-gas cooling and magnetic trapping of chromium atoms with densities exceeding $10^{12}$ atoms per cm$^{3}$ at a temperature of 350 mK for the trapped sample. The possibilities to extend the method to buffer-gas cool and magnetically trap molecules are discussed. To minimize the most important loss mechanism in magnetic trapping, molecules with a small spin-spin interaction and a large rotational constant are preferred. Both the CrH ($^6Σ^+$ ground state) and MnH ($^7Σ^+$) radicals appear to be suitable systems for future experiments.

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Joost M. Bakker, Michael Stoll, Dennis R. Weise, Oliver Vogelsang, Gerard Meijer, Achim Peters. 2007-01-21. Magnetic trapping of buffer-gas cooled chromium atoms and prospects for the extension to paramagnetic molecules. https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-4075/39/19/s21

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