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Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation
Published on: February 4, 2017
Coherent molecular optics using ultracold sodium dimers
J R Abo-Shaeer1, D E Miller, J K Chin
1Department of Physics, MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms, and Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA. jrabo-shaeer@lbl.gov
Physical Review Letters
|March 24, 2005
Summary
Researchers achieved coherent molecular optics using two-photon Bragg scattering, transferring atomic coherence to molecules at 20 nK. This breakthrough enables new quantum control of molecular states.
Area of Science:
- Quantum optics
- Ultracold atoms and molecules
- Bose-Einstein condensates
Background:
- Coherent molecular manipulation is crucial for quantum information processing and precision measurements.
- Generating and controlling ultracold molecules with preserved atomic coherence remains a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate coherent molecular optics using two-photon Bragg scattering.
- To investigate the transfer of atomic coherence to molecules.
- To observe molecular phase dynamics and formation processes.
Main Methods:
- Production of molecules by sweeping an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate through a Feshbach resonance.
- Application of two-photon Bragg scattering for coherent manipulation.
- Utilizing an autocorrelating interference technique to observe phase evolution.
Main Results:
- Observed molecular Bragg resonance with a spectral width indicating an instantaneous temperature of 20 nK.
- Confirmed direct transfer of atomic coherence to the molecules.
- Measured the quadratic spatial dependence of the phase in an expanding molecular cloud.
- Demonstrated molecule formation from two atomic momentum states, analogous to sum-frequency generation.
Conclusions:
- Coherent molecular optics is achievable via two-photon Bragg scattering.
- Atomic coherence can be directly transferred to ultracold molecules.
- The demonstrated techniques open new avenues for controlling and utilizing molecular quantum states.
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