Photoassociation of Sodium in a Bose-Einstein Condensate

Abstract

We form ultracold ${\mathrm{Na}}_2$ molecules by single-photon photoassociation of a Bose-Einstein condensate, measuring the photoassociation rate, linewidth, and light shift of the $J=1\mathrm{}$, $v=135\mathrm{}$ vibrational level of the $A^1{\Sigma }_u^{+}$ molecular state. The photoassociation rate constant increases linearly with intensity, even where it is predicted that many-body effects might limit the rate. Our observations are in good agreement with a two-body theory having no free parameters.