Doppler and Sisyphus Laser Cooling of the Polyatomic Molecule SrOH

ORAL

Abstract

Ultracold polyatomic molecules hold promise for many applications in physics and chemistry due to their complex internal structures and strong interactions. While the triatomic free radical SrOH has a linear geometry in the vibronic ground state, it serves as a useful test candidate for the feasibility of laser cooling complex, nonlinear isoelectronic species like strontium monoalkoxides, where hydrogen is replaced by a more complex group (e.g. CH$_3$). We perform Doppler and Sisyphus laser cooling of SrOH in a cryogenic buffer-gas beam. The transverse temperature of the molecular beam is reduced in one dimension from 50 mK to 700 $\mu$K, leading to an order of magnitude increase in phase-space density [1]. Our results open a path towards creating a variety of ultracold polyatomic molecules [2]; we will outline our approach to laser cooling of a symmetric-top radical, SrOCH$_3$. [1] I. Kozyryev, L. Baum, K. Matsuda, B. L. Augenbraun, L. Anderegg, A. Sedlack, and J. M. Doyle, arXiv:1609.02254 (2016). [2] I. Kozyryev, L. Baum, K. Matsuda, and J. M. Doyle, ChemPhysChem 17, 3641 (2016).

*This work was supported by the AFOSR.

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Authors

  • Ivan Kozyryev

    • Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms and Department of Physics, Harvard University

  • Louis Baum

    • Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms and Department of Physics, Harvard University

  • Kyle Matsuda

    • Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms and Department of Physics, Harvard University

  • Benjamin Augenbraun

    • Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms and Department of Physics, Harvard University

  • Loic Anderegg

    • Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms and Department of Physics, Harvard University

  • Alexander Sedlack

    • Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms and Department of Physics, Harvard University

  • John Doyle

    • Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms and Department of Physics, Harvard University