Magnetoelectrostatic Trapping of Ground State OH Molecules

2007/02/17 by Brian C. Sawyer, Benjamin L. Lev, Benjamin Lev +7 · 4 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Quantum, superfluid, helium dynamics #physics.atom-ph #physics.chem-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.98.253002

published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 253002 (2007) · 4 pages, 4 figures

arxiv created 2007/02/17 · openalex publication_date 2007/06/21 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

We report magnetic confinement of neutral, ground state OH at a density of approximately 3 x 10(3) cm(-3) and temperature of approximately 30 mK. An adjustable electric field sufficiently large to polarize the OH is superimposed on the trap in various geometries, making an overall potential arising from both Zeeman and Stark effects. An effective molecular Hamiltonian is constructed, with Monte Carlo simulations accurately modeling the observed single-molecule dynamics in various trap configurations. Magnetic trapping of cold polar molecules under adjustable electric fields may enable study of low energy dipolar interactions.

Citations

• Editorial: Quo vadis, cold molecules?
• Enhancement of the Electric Dipole Moment of the Electron in PbO

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