From atoms to molecules in a mixture of paramagnetic and diamagnetic quantum gases

拟议的项目涉及实现双组分量子气体和随后的异质分子的生产。我们的方法的独特之处是顺磁性铷（Rb）与抗磁性镱（Yb）的组合，这将允许实际上独立的捕获和操纵的两个物种。该项目已经进入了一个阶段，届时可以常规生产带有87 Rb的玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体，并且可以磁光捕获Yb的所有七种稳定同位素。资助期间的科学里程碑是弹性相互作用的研究，混合量子气体的实现，光晶格中混合物的捕获和使用光缔合的异质分子生产。我们也将研究Rb和Yb的新型量子混合物中的超流性和可折叠性。我们的主要目标是在光学晶格中产生电子基态的超冷异质结分子。在这里，我们想利用的事实，在莫特绝缘阶段有害的非弹性碰撞可以被抑制。最终的挑战将是找到一种将分子转移到振动基态的策略。超冷异质结分子非常适合研究量子气体中的偶极效应。此外，使用Yb的杂原子分子是寻找基本永久电偶极矩的良好候选者。

The proposed project is concerned with the realization of a two-component quantum gas and the subsequent production of heteronuclear molecules. The unique feature of our approach is the combination of paramagnetic rubidium (Rb) with diamagnetic ytterbium (Yb), which will allow for practically independent trapping and manipulation of the two species. The project is already at a stage, where Bose-Einstein condensates with 87Rb can be routinely produced and all seven stable isotopes of Yb can be magneto-optically trapped. The scientific milestones for the funding period are the study of elastic interactions, the realization of a mixed quantum gas, trapping of the mixture in an optical lattice and heteronuclear molecule production using photoassociation. We will also investigate superfluidity and miscibility in the novel quantum mixture of Rb and Yb. Our main goal is the production of ultracold heteronuclear molecules in the electronic ground state in an optical lattice. Here we want to exploit the fact that in the Mott-insulating phase detrimental inelastic collisions can be suppressed. The ultimate challenge will be to find a strategy for transfer of the molecules into the vibrational ground state. Ultracold heteronuclear molecules are ideally suited to study dipolar effects in quantum gases. Additionally, a heteronuclear molecule using Yb is a good candidate for the search for an elementary permanent electric dipole moment.