A Quantum Gas Microscope for Ultracold Molecules

Ultracold polar molecules offer an exciting new platform for quantum science experiments, particularly relevant for studies of quantum many-body physics in optical lattices. This PhD project will use of a state-of-the-art techniques to produce ultracol molecules in an optical lattice. Starting from a doubly degenerate atomic mixture, atoms will be loaded into a three dimensional optical lattice. By controlling the atomic interactions and relative lattice depths, a double Mott-insulator will be created in which there is one atom of each species in each lattice site. This is the perfect starting point for the creation of molecules using a combination of magnetoassociation on an interspecies Feshbach resonance and two-photon optical transfer to the rovibrational ground state. The project will then focus on the investigation of many-body phenomena that result from the long-range dipole-dipole interactions between molecules. A key challenge for the field is to address and detect individual molecules in the optical lattice. For this we will develop a quantum gas microscope in which a high numerical aperture lens is used to image individual sites in the optical lattice. This will deliver new insights into quantum magnetism and novel phases of matter.