Magneto-optical trapping of a heavy polyatomic molecule for precision measurement

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates magneto-optical trapping of heavy polyatomic molecules, specifically SrOH, at ultracold temperatures, paving the way for precision measurements probing fundamental physics beyond the Standard Model.

Contribution

It reports the first magneto-optical trap of SrOH molecules, establishing a foundation for future ultracold molecule research and precision measurement applications.

Findings

Trapped 2000(600) SrOH molecules at 1.2(3) mK

Achieved a trap lifetime of 91(9) ms

Identified key features for cooling complex polyatomic molecules

Abstract

We report a magneto-optical trap of strontium monohydroxide (SrOH) containing 2000(600) molecules at a temperature of 1.2(3) mK. The lifetime is 91(9) ms, which is limited by decay to optically unaddressed vibrational states. This provides the foundation for future sub-Doppler cooling and optical trapping of SrOH, a polyatomic molecule suited for precision searches for physics beyond the Standard Model including new CP violating particles and ultralight dark matter. We also identify important features in this system that guide cooling and trapping of complex and heavy polyatomic molecules into the ultracold regime.