Document 
Eur. Phys. J. D 31, 351-358 (2004)
DOI: 10.1140/epjd/e2004-00138-7
Efficient Stark deceleration of cold polar molecules
Eric R. Hudson, J.R. Bochinski, H.J. Lewandowski, Brian C. Sawyer and Jun YeJILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0440, USA
Eric.Hudson@colorado.edu
(Received 30 June 2004 / Published online 19 October 2004 )
Abstract
Stark deceleration has been utilized for slowing and trapping several species of neutral, ground-state polar molecules generated
in a supersonic beam expansion. Due to the finite physical dimension of the electrode array and practical limitations of the
applicable electric fields, only molecules within a specific range of velocities and positions can be efficiently slowed and
trapped. These constraints result in a restricted phase space acceptance of the decelerator in directions both transverse
and parallel to the molecular beam axis; hence, careful modeling is required for understanding and achieving efficient Stark
decelerator operation. We present work on slowing of the hydroxyl radical (OH) elucidating the physics controlling the evolution
of the molecular phase space packets both with experimental results and model calculations. From these results we deduce experimental
conditions necessary for efficient operation of a Stark decelerator.
32.60.+i - Zeeman and Stark effects.
39.10.+j - Atomic and molecular beam sources and techniques.
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag 2004