Trapping molecules on a chip in traveling potential wells

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates trapping and transporting polar molecules on a chip using a microstructured electrode array that creates moving electric field minima, enabling controlled molecule manipulation.

Contribution

It introduces a novel chip-based method to trap and move molecules in traveling potential wells using a microstructured electrode array.

Findings

Successfully trapped metastable CO molecules in moving potential wells.

Demonstrated controlled transport of molecules at constant velocities.

Created a periodic electric field pattern with over 1200 electrodes.

Abstract

A microstructured array of over 1200 electrodes on a substrate has been configured to generate an array of local minima of electric field strength with a periodicity of $120 \mu$m about $25 \mu$m above the substrate. By applying sinusoidally varying potentials to the electrodes, these minima can be made to move smoothly along the array. Polar molecules in low field seeking quantum states can be trapped in these traveling potential wells. This is experimentally demonstrated by transporting metastable CO molecules in 30 mK deep wells that move at constant velocities above the substrate.