Production of translationally cold barium monohalide ions

Abstract

We have produced sympathetically cooled barium monohalide ions BaX${}^{+}$ (X = F, Cl, Br) by reacting trapped, laser cooled Ba${}^{+}$ ions with room temperature gas phase neutral halogen-containing molecules. Reaction rates for two of these (SF${}_6$ and CH${}_3$Cl) have been measured and are in agreement with classical models. BaX${}^{+}$ ions are promising candidates for cooling to the rovibrational ground state, and our method presents a straightforward way to produce these polar molecular ions.

6 pages, 7 figures