Observation of molecules produced from a Bose-Einstein condensate

TL;DR

This paper reports the creation and detection of molecules from a Bose-Einstein condensate of rubidium-87 atoms using Feshbach resonance, revealing their magnetic properties and demonstrating one-dimensional trapping.

Contribution

It demonstrates a method to produce, detect, and manipulate molecules from a BEC, including magnetic moment measurement and one-dimensional trapping via an avoided crossing.

Findings

Molecules created from BEC using Feshbach resonance

Magnetic moment depends on magnetic field, indicating an avoided crossing

Molecules successfully trapped in one dimension

Abstract

Molecules are created from a Bose-Einstein condensate of atomic 87Rb using a Feshbach resonance. A Stern-Gerlach field is applied, in order to spatially separate the molecules from the remaining atoms. For detection, the molecules are converted back into atoms, again using the Feshbach resonance. The measured position of the molecules yields their magnetic moment. This quantity strongly depends on the magnetic field, thus revealing an avoided crossing of two bound states at a field value slightly below the Feshbach resonance. This avoided crossing is exploited to trap the molecules in one dimension.