2008/07/25 by Kirstin Wohlfart, Frank Filsinger, Fabian Grätz +2
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Mechanical and Optical Resonators #Quantum Information and Cryptography #physics.atom-ph #physics.chem-ph #physics.ins-det
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreva.78.033421
published as Phys. Rev. A 78(3), 033421 (2008) · 8 pages, 9 figures
arxiv created 2008/07/25 · openalex publication_date 2008/09/18 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
The Stark deceleration of OH radicals in both low-field-seeking and high-field-seeking levels of the rovibronic 2\ensuremathΠ3∕2, v=0, J=3∕2 ground state is demonstrated using a single experimental setup. Applying alternating-gradient focusing, OH radicals in their low-field-seeking 2\ensuremathΠ3∕2, v=0, J=3∕2, f state have been decelerated from 345\phantom\rule0.3em0exto\phantom\rule0.3em0ex239\phantom\rule0.3em0exm∕s, removing 50% of the kinetic energy using only 27 deceleration stages. The alternating-gradient decelerator allows one to independently control longitudinal and transverse manipulation of the molecules. Optimized high-voltage switching sequences for the alternating-gradient deceleration are applied, in order to adjust the dynamic focusing strength in every deceleration stage to the changing velocity over the deceleration process. In addition we have also decelerated OH radicals in their high-field-seeking 2\ensuremathΠ3∕2, v=0, J=3∕2, e state from 355\phantom\rule0.3em0exto\phantom\rule0.3em0ex316\phantom\rule0.3em0exm∕s. For the states involved, a real crossing of hyperfine levels occurs at 640\phantom\rule0.3em0exV∕cm, which is examined by varying a bias voltage applied to the electrodes.