Ultracold Polar Molecules

超冷极性分子

• 批准号: 0705204
• 负责人: Nicholas Bigelow
• 金额: $ 47万
• 依托单位: University of Rochester
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-07-01 至 2012-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0705204&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Ultracold; Polar; Molecules

This experimental research project focuses on of creating and exploring dense ultracold gasses of polar molecules. Exploration of dipolar quantum gasses is of intense current interest because of interest in how anisotropic potentials affect collective phenomena. The NaCs molecule to be studied in this project has strong dipole-dipole forces that will exhibit novel behavior. The project will is to extend prior work in creating NaCs polar molecules which are in the electronic ground state but in rovibrationally excited states. The goal of this project is to use a coherent control technique (Adiabatic Passage by Light Induced Potentials) to produce molecules in the rovibrational ground state from a gas of ultracold atoms. In addition methods to trap these molecules in an electric potential that has a rotating saddle point will be developed. A broader impact of this work lies in the ability of experiments with dipolar gasses to investigate quantum phase transitions which are normally associated with condensed matter systems. Cold polar molecules also have a potential to be used as quantum bits for information processing. As a further and significant broader impact, the project has a significant educational component; undergraduate and graduate students will actively contribute to this research. The project is an ideal training ground for the next generation of scientists and engineers. Students trained in these fields are highly sought after in academic, government and industrial jobs and play a key role in the US scientific workforce.

这项实验研究项目致力于创造和探索致密的极性分子超冷气体。由于各向异性势能如何影响集体现象，对偶极量子气体的探索目前引起了人们的浓厚兴趣。本项目中要研究的NaCS分子具有强大的偶极-偶极作用力，将显示出新的行为。该项目将扩展先前在创建NaCS极性分子方面的工作，这些分子处于电子基态但处于振动激发态。这个项目的目标是使用相干控制技术(绝热光致势能)从超冷原子的气体中产生处于振动基态的分子。此外，还将开发将这些分子捕获到具有旋转鞍点的电势中的方法。这项工作的一个更广泛的影响在于，使用偶极气体的实验能够研究通常与凝聚态系统相关的量子相变。冷极性分子也有可能被用作信息处理的量子比特。作为进一步和重大的更广泛的影响，该项目具有重要的教育组成部分；本科生和研究生将积极为这项研究做出贡献。该项目是培养下一代科学家和工程师的理想场所。在这些领域接受培训的学生在学术、政府和工业工作中非常受欢迎，在美国科学劳动力中发挥着关键作用。