Progress Toward Coupling Ultracold Molecules to a Fiber Fabry-Perot Cavity

POSTER

Abstract

Strong light-matter interactions inside reflective cavities can significantly alter the properties of atoms and molecules compared to those observed in free space. Interactions in this cavity QED regime can also alter the dynamics of chemical reactions, as demonstrated in experiments involving molecular polaritons in the condensed phase. Coupling ultracold molecules to high-finesse cavities could open the door to manipulating photochemical dynamics, guided by a first-principles quantum mechanical understanding. We present our progress toward a new experiment to bring ultracold potassium molecules into strong coupling with a fiber Fabry-Perot cavity and the near-term goal of implementing cavity-enhanced photoassociation with this platform.

*The experimental work was supported by the UChicago Neubauer Family Assistant Professors Program, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation Fellowship, and the Sloan Foundation Fellowship.

Presenters

  • Nachiket Dhiren Bhanushali

    • University of Chicago

Authors

  • Nachiket Dhiren Bhanushali

    • University of Chicago

  • Ken Liu

    • University of Chicago

  • Tanvi Rao

    • University of Chicago

  • Grace Simmons

    • University of Chicago

  • Rodrigo Spinola e Castro

    • University of Chicago

  • Jacob P Covey

    • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Chicago, Department of Physics and James Frank Institute, Pritzker School
    • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, Department of Physics and James Frank Institute
    • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Chicago, Department of Physics and James Frank Institute, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering
    • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; University of Chicago, Department of Physics and James Frank Institute, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering
    • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; University of Chicago Department of Physics and James Frank Institute, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering
    • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Department of Physics, University of Chicago; Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago
    • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Argonne National Laboratory, University of Chicago, Dept. of Physics, James Frank Institute, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering
    • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Zoe Z Yan

    • University of Chicago
    • University of Chicago, Department of Physics and James Frank Institute