Photoassociation of sodium in a Bose-Einstein condensate

Phys Rev Lett. 2002 Mar 25;88(12):120403. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.120403. Epub 2002 Mar 7.

Abstract

We form ultracold Na2 molecules by single-photon photoassociation of a Bose-Einstein condensate, measuring the photoassociation rate, linewidth, and light shift of the J = 1, v = 135 vibrational level of the A1 Sigma (+)(u) molecular state. The photoassociation rate constant increases linearly with intensity, even where it is predicted that many-body effects might limit the rate. Our observations are in good agreement with a two-body theory having no free parameters.