Functionalized Aromatic Molecules for Laser Cooling and Trapping

Recent experimental and theoretical work has demonstrated that direct laser cooling can be applied to many classes of polyatomic molecules, including derivatives of aromatic molecules. These complex polyatomic molecules are appealing targets because they can be "decorated" with useful quantum control centers while maintaining the ability to be laser cooled and optically detected. In this talk, we summarize ongoing work to laser cool and trap a functionalized aromatic molecule composed of a Ca-based optical cycling center bonded to a phenyl ring. High-resolution laser excitation spectra are presented as part of a rotational analysis of these species. Dispersed fluorescence spectra from rotationally-resolved excited states allow us to identify the transitions that must be addressed to scatter thousands of photons per molecule. These measurements provide a practical roadmap for direct laser cooling and trapping of complex polyatomic molecules.