1D MOT and direct laser slowing of CaH beam

Trapped molecular gas of CaH can be an intriguing platform for exploring ultracold quantum chemistry, advancing quantum information systems, and providing a playground for precision measurement. 3D magneto-optical traps (MOTs) are the first step towards such goals, but their typical capture velocities are limited to less than 10 m/s. To facilitate the loading of a cryogenic buffer gas-cooled beam into a 3D MOT, we need to apply longitudinal slowing to reduce the velocity of molecules from 250 m/s to within 10 m/s. Additionally, we explore the use of a transverse 1D MOT to assess the strength of the MOT force generated by our system. In this talk, we present our recent experimental progress with 1D MOT and longitudinal slowing of CaH. We will also share relevant simulation results, which include a combination of solving optical Bloch equations and conducting Monte-Carlo molecular trajectory analyses. This discussion aims to shed light on the progress towards 3D MOTs of CaH, and a broader context of laser trapping of both bosonic and fermionic molecules.