Manipulating a beam of barium fluoride molecules using an electrostatic hexapole

Manipulating a beam of barium fluoride molecules using an electrostatic hexapole

Abstract An electrostatic hexapole lens is used to manipulate the transverse properties of a beam of barium fluoride molecules from a cryogenic buffer gas source. The spatial distribution of the beam is measured by recording state-selective laser-induced fluorescence on an emccd camera, providing in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:New journal of physics Vol. 26; no. 7; pp. 73054 - 73066
Main Authors: Touwen, A, van Hofslot, J W F, Qualm, T, Borchers, R, Bause, R, Bethlem, H L, Boeschoten, A, Borschevsky, A, Fikkers, T H, Hoekstra, S, Jungmann, K, Marshall, V R, Meijknecht, T B, Mooij, M C, E Timmermans, R G, Ubachs, W, Willmann, L
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 01-07-2024
Subjects:
Barium
Barium fluorides
Dipole moments
electric dipole moment of the electron
Electric dipoles
electrostatic hexapole lens
Fluorides
Laser induced fluorescence
Lenses
molecular beam
molecular beam imaging
Molecular beams
phase-space matching
Position measurement
Spatial distribution
Stark deceleration
Trajectory measurement
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Summary:Abstract An electrostatic hexapole lens is used to manipulate the transverse properties of a beam of barium fluoride molecules from a cryogenic buffer gas source. The spatial distribution of the beam is measured by recording state-selective laser-induced fluorescence on an emccd camera, providing insight into the intensity and transverse position spread of the molecular beam. Although the high mass and unfavorable Stark shift of barium fluoride pose a considerable challenge, the number of molecules in the low-field seeking component of the N = 1 state that pass a 4 mm diameter aperture 712 mm behind the source is increased by a factor of 12. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the molecular beam can be displaced by up to ±5 mm by moving the hexapole lens. Our measurements agree well with numerical trajectory simulations. We discuss how electrostatic lenses may be used to increase the sensitivity of beam experiments such as the search for the electric dipole moment of the electron.
Bibliography:NJP-117205.R1
ISSN:1367-2630
1367-2630
DOI:10.1088/1367-2630/ad60ee