TY - JOUR
T1 - Molecular Fountain
AU - Cheng, C.
AU - van der Poel, A.P.P.
AU - Jansen, P.
AU - Quintero Perez, M.
AU - Wall, T.E.
AU - Ubachs, W.M.G.
AU - Bethlem, H.L.
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - The resolution of any spectroscopic or interferometric experiment is ultimately limited by the total time a particle is interrogated. Here we demonstrate the first molecular fountain, a development which permits hitherto unattainably long interrogation times with molecules. In our experiments, ammonia molecules are decelerated and cooled using electric fields, launched upwards with a velocity between 1.4 and 1.9 m/s and observed as they fall back under gravity. A combination of quadrupole lenses and bunching elements is used to shape the beam such that it has a large position spread and a small velocity spread (corresponding to a transverse temperature of <10 μK and a longitudinal temperature of <1 μK) when the molecules are in free fall, while being strongly focused at the detection region. The molecules are in free fall for up to 266 ms, making it possible, in principle, to perform sub-Hz measurements in molecular systems and paving the way for stringent tests of fundamental physics theories.
AB - The resolution of any spectroscopic or interferometric experiment is ultimately limited by the total time a particle is interrogated. Here we demonstrate the first molecular fountain, a development which permits hitherto unattainably long interrogation times with molecules. In our experiments, ammonia molecules are decelerated and cooled using electric fields, launched upwards with a velocity between 1.4 and 1.9 m/s and observed as they fall back under gravity. A combination of quadrupole lenses and bunching elements is used to shape the beam such that it has a large position spread and a small velocity spread (corresponding to a transverse temperature of <10 μK and a longitudinal temperature of <1 μK) when the molecules are in free fall, while being strongly focused at the detection region. The molecules are in free fall for up to 266 ms, making it possible, in principle, to perform sub-Hz measurements in molecular systems and paving the way for stringent tests of fundamental physics theories.
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.253201
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.253201
M3 - Article
SN - 0031-9007
VL - 117
JO - Physical Review Letters
JF - Physical Review Letters
IS - 25
M1 - 253201
ER -