Laser cooling AlCl molecules in the deep-ultraviolet

Laser-cooled molecules promise access to a diverse range of research directions from quantum simulation to controlled ultracold chemistry. Today, inefficient slowing of cold molecular beams remains a key barrier preventing molecular magneto-optical traps (MOTs) from trapping large, dense samples of ultracold molecules with properties similar to their atomic counterparts. Our experiment aims to remove this barrier by using bright continuous beams of cold molecules [1] and a molecular species susceptible to large optical forces by photon scattering. Our molecule of choice, aluminum monochloride (AlCl) has favorable properties for laser cooling and efficient trap loading, including a lack of spin-rotation structure and strong optical transitions in the deep-ultraviolet. Here we will present our latest work spectroscopically characterizing and manipulating a beam of AlCl with multiple high-power ultraviolet lasers [2].