Direct laser cooling and trapping of diatomic molecules (Prof. D. DeMille)

Here, unlike in atoms, photon absorption can excite the internal degrees of freedom (vibration and rotation); this both interrupts the optical cycling needed for motional cooling and leads to internal-state heating. This talk will describe our recent demonstrations that, nevertheless, methods of standard atomic laser cooling and trapping can be applied to some molecules. We have achieved sub-Doppler cooling in 1-D, radiation pressure slowing of a molecular beam, and most recently 3-D magneto-optical trapping of SrF molecules at temperatures below 1 mK. This promises to open a wide range of scientific applications, from precision measurements, to quantum information and quantum simulation, to precise control over chemical reactions. In this talk I will discuss our methods and results, and give an outlook on possible future directions.