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Friday, April 21, 2023
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
East Bridge 114

IQIM Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Seminar

Laser spectroscopy of molecular vibrations
Kon Leung, AWS Quantum Postdoctoral Scholar, Endres Group,

Abstract: The rovibrational structure of molecules is a rich source of inspiration for many avenues of quantum science. I will discuss recent work on the frequency comb assisted spectroscopy of diatomic strontium. These Van der Waals dimers are associated at ultracold temperatures and held in a magic wavelength optical lattice. We characterize hertz-level frequency shifts and demonstrate a vibrational molecular clock with systematic fractional uncertainty at the 14th decimal place, matching the performance of the earliest optical atomic clocks. We leverage the molecular clock to measure the dissociation energy of the most abundant isotopologue of the strontium dimer with record accuracy. In a parallel effort, we coherently create deeply bound dimers using the stimulated Raman adiabatic passage technique. We probe ultracold reactive collisions of alkaline-earth metal molecules in the absolute ground state, revealing inelastic losses at the universal rate. The prototypical molecular clock lays the groundwork for future explorations into THz metrology, quantum chemistry, and fundamental interactions at atomic length scales.

Lunch will be provided, following the talk, on the lawn north of the Bridge Arcade

Attendees joining in person must demonstrate that they comply with Caltech's vaccination requirements (present Caltech ID or AWS ID or vaccination and booster confirmation).

For more information, please contact Marcia Brown by phone at 626-395-4013 or by email at [email protected].