Prospect for the formation of a gas of ultracold polar NaRb molecules

We present a complete theoretical model for the formation of an ultracold gas of polar NaRb molecules, based on high-precision spectroscopic data completed with accurate quantum chemistry calculations. Weakly-bound molecules are first created via a Feshbach resonance with main triplet character. The population is transfered down to the lowest rovibrational level of the ground state by a coherent STIRAP process. The efficiency of various paths via different electronically-excited molecular states is discussed in relation of the ongoing experimental implementation.