Ultracold molecules engineered by light

该研究计划将探索一种新型的超长程双原子分子，这种分子是通过对势能曲线进行光学修饰而设计的。分子成键机制依赖于具有超长里德堡势能曲线的两个基态原子的相干耦合。这些分子在很大程度上是可调的，表现出新的物理性质，可以成为少数和多体物理的宝贵资源。我们计划研究两类不同的此类分子。第一类由基态原子和处于电子激发态的原子组成。第二类将束缚两个基态原子。这两类分子都有一个显著的长程特征，其键长由所涉及的里德堡波函数的大小给出。键长可以达到几百纳米。与传统的超长程里德堡分子相比，它们的寿命可以大大超过所涉及的里德堡态的寿命。本研究项目的目标是观察和表征这些分子。由于实验将在高原子密度的玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体中进行，我们还将寻找这种分子与多体背景的相干相互作用。

The research proposal will explore a new type of ultralong-range diatomic molecules, which are engineered by optical dressing of potential energy curves. The molecular bond mechanism relies on the coherent coupling of two ground state atoms with an ultralong-range Rydberg potential energy curve. The molecules are tunable to a large degree, exhibit new physical properties, and can be a valuable resource for few- and many-body physics. We plan to study two different classes of such molecules. The first class consists of a ground state atom and an atom in an electronically excited state. The second class will bind two ground state atoms. Common to both classes of molecules is a pronounced long-range character with a bond length, which is given by the size of the involved Rydberg wave function. The bond length can reach several hundreds of nanometer. In contrast to conventional ultralong-range Rydberg molecules, their lifetime can largely exceed that of the involved Rydberg state. The goal of this research project is to observe and characterize these molecules. Because the experiment will be performed in a Bose-Einstein condensate at high atomic densities, we will also look for the coherent interaction of such molecules with the many-body background.