Molecular Bose Einstein Condensate

Project Information

MOLBEC

Grant agreement ID: 885180

DOI

10.3030/885180

EC signature date 27 April 2020

Start date 1 August 2020

End date 31 July 2026

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 2 499 990,00

EU contribution

€ 2 499 990,00

Coordinated by

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT DORTMUND
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - MOLBEC (Molecular Bose Einstein Condensate)

Reporting period: 2022-08-01 to 2024-01-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

One can view a molecule as a quantum object having many degrees of freedom. Molecules can move, the internal degrees of freedom such as vibration and rotation can be excited with a precise control over the final quantum state. Such a quantum object with so many different degrees of freedom holds promise in many fields of physics and chemistry. In physics molecules can be used as clocks in many frequencies simultaneously and in chemistry perhaps a full control over a reaction can be achieved. However, all of these application require that the molecules are as cold as possible. In our project we develop new methods of molecular cooling. Since most of the cooling schemes rely on intermolecular collision one of the most important aspects of our research is microscopic understanding of molecular collisions. In our work the have recently demonstrated how collision complexes can be formed and how they decay into many quantum channels distributing energy between the different degrees of freedom. Such states are cold Feshbach resonances and our work is among the first to follow the decay into all possible quantum paths. We will test our assumptions that such a decay can be controlled by changing the amount of total angular momentum available during the collision.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

1. The moving magnetic trap decelerator has been extended to 6 meter length. This is the key to address a broader range of molecular cooling candidates. Recently this allowed to decelerate and trap the NH radical which is amenable to laser cooling.

2. We have constructed the double electron-ion coincidence spectrometer and demonstrated the performance by measuring for the first time the formation and decay of a Feshbach resonance to all open quantum channels.

3. We have developed a new source of molecular beam, a key in ours and many more molecular physics experiments.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

1. In our studies of Feshbach resonances we are set to perform measurement with the lowest amount of angular momentum available surging the collision. We expect that to dramatically change the decay properties of the resonance.

2. We have now moved to the last part of our proposal, laser cooling of magnetically trapped NH radical. Having the NH decelerated using magnetic fields solves the main problem of molecular laser cooling. Our molecules are already within the capture velocity of magneto optical trap. We expect that only a single laser will be necessary in order to laser cool NH into the micro Kelvin range.

6 meter long moving magnetic trap molecular decelerator