Magnetic Trapping of NH Molecules with 20 s Lifetimes

ORAL

Abstract

Buffer gas cooling is used to trap NH molecules with $1/e$ lifetimes exceeding 20 s. Helium vapor generated by laser desorption of a helium film is employed to thermalize $10^{5}$ molecules at a temperature of 500 mK in a 3.9 T magnetic trap. Long molecule trapping times are attained through rapid pumpout of residual buffer gas. Molecules experience a helium background gas density below $1 \times 10^{12}$ cm$^{-3}$.

*This work was supported by the National Science Foundation , the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Army Research Office.

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Authors

  • Edem Tsikata

    • Harvard University

  • W. Campbell

    • University of Maryland
    • JQI and Department of Physics, University of Maryland
    • University of Maryland Department of Physics and National Institute of Standards and Technology, College Park, MD 20742

  • Matthew Hummon

    • Harvard University

  • Hsin-I Lu

    • Harvard University

  • John M. Doyle

    • Harvard University