Speaker: Julian Glässel, Institute of Physics, University of Heidelberg

Title: Hybrid atom-ion trap for sympathetic cooling of OH-anions by a rubidium MOT

Abstract:

Ultracold molecular ions can be prepared by sympathetically cooling them in radio frequency (rf) traps [1]. Previous theories indicate that in rf traps homogeneously filled with atomic gas, sympathetic cooling of molecular ions is limited by a critical atom/ion mass ratio [2]. Recently we could analytically show that using localized atom clouds in higher order rf traps allows cooling beyond this mass ratio limitation. In this presentation I report on the status of a new setup [3] employing a hybrid atom-ion trap to sympathetically cool OH-anions with ultracold rubidium. Our setup consists of an octupole rf-trap of thin wires that has a large field-free center and allows enough optical access to overlay a magneto optical trap inside. Simulations of ion trajectories inside the ultracold rubidium cloud suggest sympathetic cooling by at least one order of magnitude.

[1] M. Schnell and G. Meijer, Angew. Chem. 121, 6124 (2009)
[2] F. G. Major and H. G. Dehmelt, Phys. Rev. 170, 91 (1968)
[3] J. Deiglmayr et. al., Phys. Rev. A 86, 043438 (2012)

Coffee + cake at 15:05