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arXiv · 1807.00740

$\Lambda$-Enhanced Imaging of Molecules in an Optical Trap

Lawrence W. Cheuk·Loïc Anderegg·Benjamin L. Augenbraun·Yicheng Bao·Sean Burchesky·Wolfgang Ketterle·John M. Doyle
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Abstract

We report non-destructive imaging of optically trapped calcium monofluoride (CaF) molecules using in-situ $\Lambda$-enhanced gray molasses cooling. $200$ times more fluorescence is obtained compared to destructive on-resonance imaging, and the trapped molecules remain at a temperature of $20\,\mu\text{K}$. The achieved number of scattered photons makes possible non-destructive single-shot detection of single molecules with high fidelity.

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Lawrence W. Cheuk, Loïc Anderegg, Benjamin L. Augenbraun, Yicheng Bao, Sean Burchesky, Wolfgang Ketterle, John M. Doyle. 2018-07-02. $\Lambda$-Enhanced Imaging of Molecules in an Optical Trap. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.121.083201

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