Measurement of the binding energy of ultracold ~(87)Rb~(133)Cs molecules using an offset-free optical frequency comb

摘要

We report the binding energy of 87Rb133Cs molecules in their rovibrational ground state measured using an offset-free optical frequency comb based on difference frequency generation technology. We create molecules in the absolute ground state using stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) with a transfer efficiency of 88%. By measuring the absolute frequencies of our STIRAP lasers, we find the energy-level difference from an initial weakly bound Feshbach state to the rovibrational ground state with a resolution of ～5 kHz over an energy-level difference of more than 114 THz; this lets us discern the hyperfine splitting of the ground state. Combined with theoretical models of the Feshbach-state binding energies and ground-state hyperfine structure, we determine a zero-field binding energy of h×114 268 135.24(4)(3) MHz. To our knowledge, this is the most accurate determination to date of the dissociation energy of a molecule.