Cooling Molecules To Quantum Degeneracy
Lead Research Organisation:
Durham University
Department Name: Chemistry
Abstract
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Publications
Bird R
(2023)
Making molecules by mergoassociation: Two atoms in adjacent nonspherical optical traps
in Physical Review Research
Bird R
(2023)
Tunable Feshbach resonances in collisions of ultracold molecules in 2 S states with alkali-metal atoms
in Physical Review Research
Burau J
(2024)
Collisions of spin-polarized YO molecules for single partial waves
in Physical Review A
Horvath M
(2024)
Bose-Einstein condensation of non-ground-state caesium atoms.
in Nature communications
Horvath M
(2023)
Bose-Einstein condensation of non-ground-state caesium atoms
Mukherjee B
(2025)
SU(N) magnetism with ultracold molecules
in New Journal of Physics
Mukherjee B
(2025)
SU ( N ) symmetry with ultracold alkali dimers: Weak dependence of scattering properties on hyperfine state
in Physical Review Research
Mukherjee B
(2024)
Controlling collisional loss and scattering lengths of ultracold dipolar molecules with static electric fields
in Physical Review Research
| Description | We have established theoretically that shielding with a static electric field will be very effective for ultracold CaF, and found the optimum conditions for using it. This knowledge is very important for the current project, where we are constructing an apparatus to implement such shielding. We have also shown how static-field shielding can be used to control scattering lengths for collisions of polar ultracold molecules. This will allow the interactions between molecules to be controlled, which is a major goal of the field. We have shown that molecules shielded with a static field have properties suitable for implementing quantum magnetism with SU(N) symmetry, and that experimentally available ultracold molecules can implement this with N up to 32 for bosons or 36 for fermions and for both attractive and repulsive interactions. |
| Exploitation Route | Static-field shielding is a general tool for preventing destructive collisions between polar ultracold molecules. It is complementary to microwave shielding, and has big advantages for some molecules. We expect that it will be used by multiple experimental groups around the world. |
| Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) |
| Description | This is a fundamental science project with long-term potential to underpin applications in Quantum Technology and to produce new understanding of quantum condensed-matter systems. We have made important advances in understanding how to control the collisions of ultracold molecules such as CaF, so that they can be cooled towards quantum degeneracy. This is a key step towards realising the long-term impacts. |
| Sector | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | Collaboration with Kaden Hazzard on using shielded molecules for implementing SU(N) magnetism |
| Organisation | Rice University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Understanding of 2-body collision physics for shielded ultracold molecules |
| Collaborator Contribution | Modelling of many-body properties based on our calculations of 2-body properties |
| Impact | Joint publication with Kaden Hazzard, listed under publications |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Experiment / theory collaboration with Michael Tarbutt |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Department | Department of Physics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Theory of ultracold molecular collisions in static electric fields |
| Collaborator Contribution | Experiments on ultracold molecular collisions in static electric fields, currently at the stage of building apparatus. |
| Impact | Preprint: Tunable Feshbach resonances in collisions of ultracold molecules in $^2\Sigma$ states with alkali-metal atoms http://arxiv.org/abs/2302.14687 |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Experiment/theory collaboration with Jun Ye to understand collisions between pairs of YO molecules |
| Organisation | University of Colorado Boulder |
| Department | Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA) |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Theory to understand cutting-edge experiments in the group of Prof Jun Ye |
| Collaborator Contribution | Experimental results to test theory developed under this grant |
| Impact | Joint paper in preparation on YO-YO collisions |
| Start Year | 2022 |