Laser-Cooled Molecules for Quantum Science Applications

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In this fifth installment of the 2022 Next-Gen Quantum Colloquia series, Loïc Anderegg, a postdoc in the Doyle Lab, will provide a briefing on recent progress in laser-cooling molecules for quantum science applications.

Abstract:

Wide-ranging scientific applications have contributed to significant advances in controlling molecules at the single-quantum-state level.  Progress in direct laser-cooling of molecules has led to the first molecular magneto-optical traps, which have allowed for optical trapping of ultracold molecules.  Optical tweezer arrays are a powerful platform for accessing applications ranging from precision measurement to quantum simulation and quantum information processing.  They offer both the possibility of high-fidelity readout as well as quantum control of individual molecules and systems.   In this talk, I will present our approach of using these tweezers of calcium monofluoride molecules in combination with internal-state control to perform state-dependent collisional studies.  We apply microwave radiation to directly engineer and tune the interaction potentials between molecules, creating a repulsive shield which suppresses inelastic loss. This generalizable approach provides a route to creating dense, long-lived samples of ultracold molecules and applying evaporative cooling.  We’ll also look at data on rotational coherence times in optical tweezer traps - which are so critical to the performance of quantum information processing with polar molecule arrays - and discuss the progress we are making toward this goal.  Finally, we’ll take a look at laser-cooling and trapping of polyatomic molecules.  Their distinct combination of rotational and vibrational degrees of freedom promise a range of transformational possibilities uniquely suited to future applications in quantum computation and simulation.