Deceleration and Trapping of SrF Molecules.

Area of Science:

• Molecular physics
• Quantum chemistry
• Atomic, molecular, and optical physics

Background:

• Electrostatic trapping and deceleration are crucial for precision measurements and studying fundamental physics.
• Previous methods have been limited to lighter molecules, restricting the scope of experiments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the electrostatic trapping and deceleration of neutral strontium fluoride (SrF) molecules.
• To extend the capability of Stark deceleration to heavier molecules for enhanced sensitivity in physics beyond the standard model.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a cryogenic buffer-gas beam source to produce neutral SrF molecules.
• Employing a 4.5-m-long traveling-wave Stark decelerator with moving electric traps.
• Gradually reducing trap velocity from 190 m/s to zero to bring molecules to rest.

Main Results:

• Successfully captured and decelerated neutral SrF molecules to zero velocity.
• Achieved trapping for up to 50 ms with a volume of 1 mm³ and velocity spread of 5 m/s (60 mK).
• Demonstrated a threefold increase in the mass of molecules that can be Stark decelerated and trapped.

Conclusions:

• This work significantly expands the range of neutral molecules amenable to slow beam creation.
• Enables new possibilities for collision studies, precision measurements, and advanced trapping experiments.
• Paves the way for using heavier molecules to probe physics beyond the standard model.