Heteronuclear molecules in an optical dipole trap

J. J. Zirbel, K.-K. Ni, S. Ospelkaus, T. L. Nicholson, M. L. Olsen, P. S. Julienne, C. E. Wieman, J. Ye, and D. S. Jin
Phys. Rev. A 78, 013416 – Published 23 July 2008

Abstract

We report on the creation and characterization of heteronuclear K40R87b Feshbach molecules in an optical dipole trap. Starting from an ultracold gas mixture of K40 and R87b atoms, we create as many as 25 000 molecules at 300 nK by rf association. Optimizing the association process, we achieve a conversion efficiency of 25%. We measure the temperature dependence of the rf association process and find good agreement with a phenomenological model that has previously been applied to Feshbach molecule creation by slow magnetic-field sweeps. We also present a measurement of the binding energy of the heteronuclear molecules in the vicinity of the Feshbach resonance and provide evidence for Feshbach molecules as deeply bound as 26 MHz.

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  • Received 31 December 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.78.013416

©2008 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

J. J. Zirbel1,*, K.-K. Ni1, S. Ospelkaus1, T. L. Nicholson1, M. L. Olsen1, P. S. Julienne2, C. E. Wieman1, J. Ye1, and D. S. Jin1

  • 1JILA, Quantum Physics Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0440, USA
  • 2Joint Quantum Institute, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Maryland, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-8423, USA

  • *zirbel@jilau1.colorado.edu

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Vol. 78, Iss. 1 — July 2008

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