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arXiv · 1609.09734

Deceleration of a supersonic beam of SrF molecules to 120 m/s

S. C. Mathavan·A. Zapara·Q. Esajas·S. Hoekstra
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Abstract

We report on the deceleration of a beam of SrF molecules from 290 to 120~m/s. Following supersonic expansion, the molecules in the $X^2\Sigma$ ($v=0$, $N=1$) low-field seeking states are trapped by the moving potential wells of a traveling-wave Stark decelerator. With a deceleration strength of 9.6 km/s$^2$ we have demonstrated the removal of 85 % of the initial kinetic energy in a 4 meter long modular decelerator. The absolute amount of kinetic energy removed is a factor 1.5 higher compared to previous Stark deceleration experiments. The demonstrated decelerator provides a novel tool for the creation of highly collimated and slow beams of heavy diatomic molecules, which serve as a good starting point for high-precision tests of fundamental physics.

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S. C. Mathavan, A. Zapara, Q. Esajas, S. Hoekstra. 2016-09-30. Deceleration of a supersonic beam of SrF molecules to 120 m/s. https://doi.org/10.1002/cphc.201600813

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