FINALIST: Deep Laser Cooling and Coherent Control of Molecules

Ultracold molecules offer qualitatively different properties to those of atoms, promising a wide range of diverse and exciting applications. These include controlled quantum chemistry, probes of physics beyond the Standard Model, and—by utilizing the long-range dipole-dipole interactions between pairs of molecules—simulation of many-body quantum systems and quantum information processing. However, the rich internal structure of molecules makes the required control of their motional and internal states difficult. Here I describe our development of the tools required to produce, trap, cool, and control CaF molecules. I detail experimental results capturing CaF molecules in a MOT, cooling them to 5 μK in a blue-detuned optical molasses, and using a combination of optical pumping and coherent microwave control to transfer them to a state where they can be magnetically trapped for up to 5 s. Finally, I will look forward and discuss how we can implement high-fidelity quantum gates between pairs of these ultracold molecules.