We have recently created the first Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) of dipolar
molecules [1-3]. We efficiently cool sodium-cesium molecules from 700 nK to less
than 10 nK, deep into the quantum degenerate regime. The lifetime of the molecular
BEC is longer than one second, reaching a level of stability similar to ultracold atomic
gases. A cornerstone of this advance is double microwave shielding, a novel
technique that gives us control over intermolecular interactions and reduces inelastic
loss of molecules by four orders of magnitude. The creation of a BEC constitutes the
first observation of a phase transition in an ultracold molecular gas.
In this talk, I will discuss our experimental approach, share latest insights, and give
an outlook on opportunities with our system for many-body quantum physics,
quantum simulation, and quantum information. Thanks to a large dipole moment,
BECs of sodium-cesium molecules promise access to regimes of dipolar quantum
matter that have been inaccessible so far.
References:
[1] Bigagli, Yuan, Zhang, et al., Observation of Bose-Einstein condensation of
dipolar molecules, Nature 631, 289-293 (2024)
[2] Bigagli, et al., Collisionally stable gas of bosonic dipolar ground state
molecules, Nature Physics 19, 1579-1584 (2023)
[3] Stevenson, et al., Ultracold gas of dipolar NaCs ground state molecules, Phys.
Rev. Lett. 130, 113003 (2023)
*You will need to bring your cell phone, so you can sign in using the QR code outside of ATL 2400. You will need to submit your first and last name, email, and affiliation on a form by 11:15am to be able to get lunch after the seminar. Lunch is first come, first served.*
At 4pm, there will be a tea in ATL 2117 for our speaker and students/postdocs - this is a chance to ask questions directly to our speaker. Refreshments will be served.