Researchers at JILA, a joint institute of NIST and the University of Colorado Boulder, have developed a new method to control chemical reactions in ultracold quantum gases using an electric “knob.” By applying a tunable electric field, they can dramatically increase or decrease the rate of molecular collisions and chemical reactions in these gases.
The technique could have significant implications for quantum technologies, enabling the design of novel chemicals and gases, new platforms for quantum computers using molecules as qubits, and improved precision measurement tools like molecular clocks. The research builds on previous work by JILA Fellow Jun Ye in simplifying the creation of ultracold quantum gases.
The new method involves creating a dense gas of potassium-rubidium molecules in a six-electrode assembly that generates a tunable electric field. By adjusting the strength of this field, researchers can shield molecules from chemical reactions that would otherwise deplete the gas. The shielding is achieved by modifying the rotations and interactions of the molecules through the electric field, which changes the nature of molecular collisions from attractive to repulsive.
The technique has been demonstrated in an optical lattice, but researchers expect it to remain effective without the lattice, simplifying future efforts to create molecular gases made of other types of atoms. The experimental results agreed with theoretical predictions, and funding was provided by NIST, DARPA, the Army Research Office, and the National Science Foundation.
Keywords: quantum, molecules, ultracold, electric, rotations
