Observation of Molecules Produced from a Bose-Einstein Condensate

Abstract

Molecules are created from a Bose-Einstein condensate of atomic ${}^{87}\mathrm{R}\mathrm{b}$ using a Feshbach resonance. A Stern-Gerlach field is applied, in order to spatially separate the molecules from the remaining atoms. For detection, the molecules are converted back into atoms, again using the Feshbach resonance. The measured position of the molecules yields their magnetic moment. This quantity strongly depends on the magnetic field, thus revealing an avoided crossing of two bound states at a field value slightly below the Feshbach resonance. This avoided crossing is exploited to trap the molecules in one dimension.