Accumulation of cold cesium molecules via photoassociation in a mixed atomic and molecular trap

Phys Rev Lett. 2002 Aug 5;89(6):063001. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.063001. Epub 2002 Jul 23.

Abstract

We have realized a mixed atomic and molecular trap, constituted by a Cs vapor-cell magneto-optical trap and a quadrupolar magnetic C s(2) trap, using the same magnetic field gradient. We observed the trapping of 2x 10(5) molecules, formed and accumulated in the metastable a (3)Sigma(+ )(u) state at a temperature of 30+/-10 microK through a approximately 150 ms photoassociation process. The lifetime of the trapped molecular cloud limited by the Cs background gas pressure is on the order of 1 s.