A high phase-space density mixture of (87)Rb and (133)Cs: towards ultracold heteronuclear molecules

Cho, H.W.; McCarron, D.J.; Jenkin, D.L.; Koeppinger, M.P.; Cornish, S.L.

Abstract

We report the production of a high phase-space density mixture of 87Rb and 133Cs atoms in a levitated crossed optical dipole trap as the first step towards the creation of ultracold RbCs molecules via magneto-association. We present a simple and robust experimental setup designed for the sympathetic cooling of 133Cs via interspecies elastic collisions with 87Rb. Working with the |F = 1,mF = +1〉 and the |3, +3〉 states of 87Rb and 133Cs respectively, we measure a high interspecies three-body inelastic collision rate ∼10−25−10−26 cm6   s−1 which hinders the sympathetic cooling. Nevertheless by careful tailoring of the evaporation we can produce phase-space densities near quantum degeneracy for both species simultaneously. In addition we report the observation of an interspecies Feshbach resonance at 181.7(5) G and demonstrate the creation of Cs2 molecules via magneto-association on the 4(g)4 resonance at 19.8 G. These results represent important steps towards the creation of ultracold RbCs molecules in our apparatus.

Citation

Cho, H., McCarron, D., Jenkin, D., Koeppinger, M., & Cornish, S. (2011). A high phase-space density mixture of (87)Rb and (133)Cs: towards ultracold heteronuclear molecules. The European Physical Journal D, 65(1-2), 125-131. https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2011-10716-1

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2011
• Deposit Date: Jan 23, 2012
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 12, 2013
• Journal: European Physical Journal D
• Print ISSN: 1434-6060
• Electronic ISSN: 1434-6079
• Publisher: Springer
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 65
• Issue: 1-2
• Pages: 125-131
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2011-10716-1
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1497737