Proposal for Laser Cooling of Complex Polyatomic Molecules

• Published in: Chemphyschem Vol. 17; no. 22; pp. 3641 - 3648
• Main Authors: Kozyryev, Ivan, Baum, Louis, Matsuda, Kyle, Doyle, John M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Blackwell Publishing Ltd 18.11.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: complex molecules; Cooling; laser cooling; Lasers; micro-kelvin temperatures; photon cycling; polyatomic molecules; complex molecules; laser cooling; micro-kelvin temperatures; polyatomic molecules; photon cycling
• ISSN: 1439-4235; 1439-7641
• DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201601051

An experimentally feasible strategy for direct laser cooling of polyatomic molecules with six or more atoms is presented. Our approach relies on the attachment of a metal atom to a complex molecule, where it acts as an active photon cycling site. We describe a laser cooling scheme for alkaline earth monoalkoxide free radicals taking advantage of the phase space compression of a cryogenic buffer‐gas beam. Possible applications are presented including laser cooling of chiral molecules and slowing of molecular beams using coherent photon processes. Cooling MORe molecules: An experimentally feasible strategy for direct laser cooling, to micro‐kelvin temperatures, of alkaline earth monoalkoxide (MOR) polyatomic molecules with six or more atoms is presented. Our approach relies on the attachment of a metal atom to a complex molecule, where it acts as an active photon cycling site (see picture).