Molecule Formation and Dynamics in a Bose-Einstein Condensate

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of this research is to investigate the generation and magnetic trapping of ultracold molecules in laser-cooled gases and in Bose-Einstein condensates, the interactions between ultracold atoms and molecules, and the possible formation of a molecular condensate. This will be accomplished with single color or Raman photoassociation of atoms in a laser-cooled or Bose-condensed Rb-87 gas, and with a Feshbach resonance in Rb-87. Molecules will be detected with resonant multi-photon ionization, which can be both sensitive and state-selective. In addition, nonlinear atom-optical methods could be used to probe the molecular state. Atom-molecule collision rate measurements will be carried out, and these may yield evidence of new kinds of ultracold collision resonance phenomena. Precise measurements of the stimulated Raman free-bound lineshapes will provide further information. The limitations to coherent atom-molecule interconversion will be investigated. Bose condensation and molecule formation in a tightly confining optical trap in which excitations are suppressed will be investigated. An optical trap will also be used for the Feshbach resonance studies and to study a Rb-87 spinor condensate. Finally, an effort will be made to generate a molecular condensate with free-bound transitions from an atomic condensate, and to investigate its properties and its interactions with the atomic condensate.