Electric-field-induced inelastic collisions between magnetically trapped hydroxyl radicals

ORAL

Abstract

We have observed inelastic collisions between magnetically trapped hydroxyl (OH$^\bullet$) molecules at a temperature of 45 mK, induced by the presence of an electric field. We measured the collisional loss rate over electric field strengths of 0.2-10 kV/cm. Accurate measurements of the loss rate also required recognition and understanding of a new form of single-body trap loss, arising from non-adiabatic transitions between Zeeman levels at avoided crossings created by the presence of a transverse electric field.

*We acknowledge funding from the NSF Physics Frontier Center, NIST, DOE, and the AFOSR and ARO MURIs on Cold Molecules

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Authors

  • Benjamin Stuhl

    • JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
    • JILA / University of Colorado

  • Mark Yeo

    • JILA / University of Colorado

  • Matthew Hummon

    • JILA / University of Colorado

  • Jun Ye

    • JILA / University of Colorado