https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2009-00212-8
Spectrally resolved coherent transient signal for ultracold rubidium molecules
1
Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
2
Institut für Theoretische Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
3
Physikalisches Institut, Universität Freiburg, Hermann Herder Str. 3, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
Corresponding author: a frauke.eimer@gmx.de
Received:
13
February
2009
Revised:
18
June
2009
Published online:
24
July
2009
We present spectrally resolved pump-probe experiments on the photoassociation of ultracold rubidium atoms with shaped ultrashort laser pulses. The pump pulse causes a free-bound transition leading to a coherent transient signal of rubidium molecules in the first excited state. In order to achieve a high frequency resolution the bandwidth of the pump pulse is reduced to a few wavenumbers. The frequency dependence of the transient signal close to the D1 atomic resonance is investigated for characteristic pump-probe delay times. The observed spectra, which show a pronounced dip for pump-probe coincidence, are interpreted using quantum dynamical calculations.
PACS: 33.80.-b – Photon interactions with molecules / 32.80.Qk – Coherent control of atomic interactions with photons / 42.50.Md – Optical transient phenomena: quantum beats, photon echo, free-induction decay, dephasings
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2009
