Nonadiabatic transitions in electrostatically trapped ammonia molecules

TL;DR

This study reports the first experimental observation and quantification of nonadiabatic transition losses in electrostatically trapped ammonia molecules, revealing their dominance even at relatively high temperatures.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental evidence of nonadiabatic transitions causing losses in trapped molecules, expanding understanding beyond atomic traps.

Findings

Nonadiabatic transitions significantly contribute to molecule loss rates.

Losses are dominant even at temperatures of 10-50 mK.

Quantified losses for three ammonia isotopologues.

Abstract

Nonadiabatic transitions are known to be major loss channels for atoms in magnetic traps, but have thus far not been experimentally reported upon for trapped molecules. We have observed and quantified losses due to nonadiabatic transitions for three isotopologues of ammonia in electrostatic traps, by comparing the trapping times in traps with a zero and a non-zero electric field at the center. Nonadiabatic transitions are seen to dominate the overall loss rate even for samples at relatively high temperatures of 10-50 mK.