An Alternative Operation Scheme to Improve the Efficiency of a Stark Decelerator

A Stark decelerator can slow down polar molecules to very low velocities. When the velocities are very low, the number of cold molecules obtained is very small. In order to obtain a higher quantity of cold molecules, inspired by the work of Reens et al. [Phys. Rev. Res. 2 (2020) 033 095], we propose an alternative method of operating a Stark decelerator. Through the trajectory simulation of OH molecules in the decelerator, we find that the number of cold molecules can be greatly increased by one order of magnitude at both low and high final velocities on a Stark decelerator consisting of around 150 electrodes. This development is due to the improved longitudinal and the transverse focusing property provided by the new switching schemes and the high-voltage configurations on the decelerator unit.

Manipulation and Control of Molecular Beams: The Development of the Stark-Decelerator

State-selective manipulation of beams of atoms and molecules with electric and magnetic fields has been crucial for the success of the field of molecular beams. Originally, this manipulation only involved the transverse motion. In this Chapter, the development of the Stark-decelerator, that allows to also manipulate and control the longitudinal motion of molecules in a beam, is presented.

Slowing and cooling of heavy or light (even with a tiny electric dipole moment) polar molecules using a novel, versatile electrostatic Stark decelerator

We have proposed a novel, versatile electrostatic Stark decelerator to slow the heavy and light polar molecules with an array of true 3D electric potential wells.