Laser cooling of molecules

Abstract

Recently, laser cooling methods have been extended from atoms to molecules. The complex rotational and vibrational energy level structure of molecules makes laser cooling difficult, but these difficulties have been overcome and molecules have now been cooled to a few microkelvin and trapped for several seconds. This opens many possibilities for applications in quantum science and technology, controlled chemistry, and tests of fundamental physics. This article explains how molecules can be decelerated, cooled and trapped using laser light, reviews the progress made in recent years, and outlines some future applications.

An entry-level review article prepared for Contemporary Physics

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Cited by in corpus (6)

• Assembly of a rovibrational ground state molecule in an optical tweezer
• Bimolecular chemistry in the ultracold regime
• Collisions Between Ultracold Molecules and Atoms in a Magnetic Trap
• Laser-coolable AcOH${}^{+}$ ion for $\mathcal{C}\mathcal{P}$-violation searches
• Rovibrational quenching of C${}_2$-anions in collisions with He, Ne, and Ar atoms
• Simulation of Cryogenic Buffer Gas Beams