Continuous Production of Rovibronic Ground State RbCs Molecules via Short-Range Photoassociation to the $b^3\Pi_{1}-c^3\Sigma^+_{1}-B^1\Pi_1$ States

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the continuous production of ultracold RbCs molecules in their rovibronic ground state using short-range photoassociation targeting mixed electronic states, with high efficiency and detailed spectroscopic analysis.

Contribution

It introduces a novel photoassociation approach to produce ground-state RbCs molecules with high efficiency and provides detailed rovibronic level characterization of mixed electronic states.

Findings

Achieved production of ~10,000 molecules per second in the ground state.

Identified and characterized rovibronic levels of mixed $b^3\Pi_1-c^3\Sigma^+_1-B^1\Pi_1$ states.

Demonstrated effective vibrational and rotational state control through spectroscopy.

Abstract

We have investigated rovibronic levels of the strongly mixed $b^3\Pi_1-c^3\Sigma^+_1-B^1\Pi_1$ states [the 2(1), 3(1), and 4(1) states in Hund's case (c) notation] of $^{85}$Rb$^{133}$Cs in the energy range of 13950$-$14200 cm$^{-1}$ using short-range photoassociation (PA). For selected PA states, vibrational and rotational branching in the $X^1\Sigma^+$ state have been investigated using resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization and depletion spectroscopy. Efficient production of $^{85}$Rb$^{133}$Cs molecules in the rovibronic ground state $X^1\Sigma^+ (v=0, J=0)$, at up to $\sim$1$\times 10^4$ molecules/s, has been achieved.