Dynamics of a buffer-gas-loaded, deep optical trap for molecules

Abstract

We describe an approach to optically trapping small, chemically stable molecules at cryogenic temperatures by buffer-gas loading a deep optical dipole trap. The ∼10K trap depth will be produced by a tightly focused, 1064-nm cavity capable of reaching intensities of hundreds of GW/cm^{2}. Molecules will be directly buffer-gas loaded into the trap using a helium buffer gas at 1.5K. The very far-off-resonant, quasielectrostatic trapping mechanism is insensitive to a molecule's internal state, energy level structure, and its electric and magnetic dipole moment. Here, we theoretically investigate the trapping and loading dynamics, as well as the heating and loss rates, and conclude that 10^{4}–10^{6} molecules are likely to be trapped. Our trap would open new possibilities in molecular spectroscopy, studies of cold chemical reactions, and precision measurement, amongst other fields of physics.