A New Scheme for Formation of Ultracold Molecules via Photoassociation and Resonant Coupling
Abstract
In recent theoretical work, we investigated channel coupling in excited Rb2 and Cs2 ultracold molecules (V. Kokoouline et al, J.Chem.Phys. 110, 9865 (1999), and Phys.Rev.A, in press). Many resonant vibrational levels are found over a large energy domain, exhibiting wavefunctions with large probability density at both large and short internuclear distances. We show that this provides a new scheme for the formation of ground state ultracold molecules. Vibrational levels of a long-range excited state (0_u^+(6s+6p_1/2)) are first populated by photoassociation of a cold atom pair. Resonant coupling with a neighboring excited state (0_u^+(6s+6p_3/2)) at short distances enhances the amplitude of the radial wavefunction, and favors spontaneous emission towards ground state vibrational levels. This mechanism is clearly visible in the Cs_2^+ spectrum recorded after photoassociation into the Cs_2^+(0_u^+(6s+6p_1/2)) excited state.
- Publication:
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APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- June 2000
- Bibcode:
- 2000APS..DMP..R991D