Giant formation rates of ultracold molecules via Feshbach-optimized photoassociation

Philippe Pellegrini, Marko Gacesa, Robin Côté

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98 Scopus citations

Abstract

Ultracold molecules offer a broad variety of applications, ranging from metrology to quantum computing. However, forming "real" ultracold molecules, i.e., in deeply bound levels, is a very difficult proposition. Here, we show how photoassociation in the vicinity of a Feshbach resonance enhances molecular formation rates by several orders of magnitude. We illustrate this effect in heteronuclear systems, and find giant rate coefficients even in deeply bound levels. We also give a simple analytical expression for the photoassociation rate and discuss future applications of the Feshbach-optimized photoassociation technique.

Original languageBritish English
Article number053201
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume101
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Aug 2008

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