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Elastic and inelastic collisions of C<sub>60</sub> in buffer gases probed by nonlinear spectroscopy

ORAL

Abstract

C60, comprising 60 indistinguishable carbon atoms arranged on a spherical lattice, straddles the border between a molecule and extended material. Nonetheless, its rigid symmetrical structure makes it by far the largest molecule for which rotational quantum state resolution has been achieved [1].  

We have developed sensitive and nonlinear mid-infrared rovibrational spectroscopy to further probe and manipulate quantum states of buffer gas-cooled C60. Nonlinear absorption spectra reveal signatures of elastic and inelastic cross sections of the C60 - buffer gas collisions. While the enormous vibrational partition function of C60 demands use of heavier buffer gases, preliminary results suggest that effective rotational cooling may be achieved with gases of lighter atoms and molecules. These results may pave the way for efficient buffer gas cooling of unprecedentedly large molecules and establish C60 as a new platform for quantum science. 

[1] P. B. Changala, M. L. Weichman, K. F. Lee, M. E. Fermann, J. Ye, Science 363, 49 (2019)

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Presenters

  • Lee Liu

    University of Colorado, Boulder

Authors

  • Lee Liu

    University of Colorado, Boulder

  • P. Bryan Changala

    Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

  • Jutta Toscano

    University of Colorado, Boulder, JILA, NIST, and University of Colorado, Boulder, JILA, NIST, and University of Colorado at Boulder

  • Qizhong Liang

    University of Colorado, Boulder, JILA, NIST, and University of Colorado, Boulder, JILA, NIST, and University of Colorado at Boulder

  • Marissa Weichman

    Princeton University

  • Jun Ye

    JILA and University of Colorado Boulder, JILA, University of Colorado, Boulder, University of Colorado, Boulder, JILA, NIST, and University of Colorado Boulder, JILA, University of Colorado Boulder, JILA, University of Colorado and National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA, JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA, JILA, NIST, and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, JILA, NIST, and University of Colorado, Boulder, JILA, NIST, and University of Colorado at Boulder