Producing cold radioactive molecules in a tabletop apparatus

The study of molecules containing radioactive nuclei has a wide range of applications in fundamental symmetries, nuclear structure, astrophysics, and chemistry (see arXiv:2302.02165). Many applications rely on the ability to perform precision spectroscopy using cold samples, which is a challenge for species which cannot be obtained in appreciable quantities. In this talk, I will describe our efforts to chemically synthesize, cryogenically cool, and then perform broadband and high-resolution spectroscopy on radium-226-containing molecules, including RaOH and RaOD. The apparatus fits on a tabletop, and leverages advances in molecular production, cooling, and control. The methods are generic and can be applied to a wide range of species.