Measurement of the binding energy of ultracold ${}^{87}$Rb${}^{133}$Cs molecules using an offset-free optical frequency comb

Abstract

We report the binding energy of ${}^{87}$Rb${}^{133}$Cs molecules in their rovibrational ground state measured using an offset-free optical frequency comb based on difference frequency generation technology. We create molecules in the absolute ground state using stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) with a transfer efficiency of 88\%. By measuring the absolute frequencies of our STIRAP lasers, we find the energy-level difference from an initial weakly-bound Feshbach state to the rovibrational ground state with a resolution of 5 kHz over an energy-level difference of more than 114 THz; this lets us discern the hyperfine splitting of the ground state. Combined with theoretical models of the Feshbach state binding energies and ground-state hyperfine structure, we determine a zero-field binding energy of $h\times 114268135237(5)(50)$ kHz. To our knowledge, this is the most accurate determination to date of the dissociation energy of a molecule.

8 pages, 7 figures

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• Two-photon photoassociation spectroscopy of CsYb: ground-state interaction potential and interspecies scattering lengths
• AC Stark Effect in Ultracold Polar RbCs Molecules
• A terahertz vibrational molecular clock with systematic uncertainty at the $10^{-14}$ level
• Observation of Rydberg blockade due to the charge-dipole interaction between an atom and a polar molecule
• Controlling the ac Stark effect of RbCs with dc electric and magnetic fields
• High-fidelity multistate STIRAP assisted by shortcut fields
• Coherent Manipulation of the Internal State of Ultracold ${}^{87}$Rb${}^{133}$Cs Molecules with Multiple Microwave Fields
• Enhanced quantum state transfer via feedforward cancellation of optical phase noise
• Efficient Pathway to NaCs Ground State Molecules
• Highly Efficient Creation and Detection of Ultracold Deeply-Bound Molecules via Chainwise Stimulated Raman Shortcut-to-Adiabatic Passage