Cold Atoms, Cold Molecules, and Spectroscopy

Suny At Stony Brook, Stony Brook NY

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal for theoretical and computational work has two components, both related to the properties of cold atoms. The goal of the first part is to extend our understanding of phase correlations in Bose condensates at zero temperature to double (and eventually multiple) well configurations. The objective is to learn to what extent phase correlation persists through a barrier, as a function of barrier height, atom number, and interactions. The second part addresses a bottleneck in attempts to produce electronically, vibrationally, rotationally and translationally cold molecules by starting with cold atoms. Namely, even if the multiple lasers can be assembled and stabilized, the intermediate frequencies are not known for many alkali diatomics because the molecular structure, being highly perturbed, has not been analyzed. RbCs is of especial interest because both atoms can be efficiently cooled with laser light, and because there are presently efforts at Yale to produce ultracold ground state RbCs molecules. We have assisted in this effort by providing information on the lowest excited states from our recent analysis of RbCs spectral data.