30.06.2015 - Ulrich Bangert - Lasercooling of diatomic molecules

In the past decades laser cooling and trapping of atoms led to rapid advances in wide array of fields. Molecules have a far more complex internal structure in comparison with atoms.
This makes on the one hand laser cooling more complicated, but on the other hand it gives the potential for more possible applications. This review will deal with principle of laser cooling and the problems arising for laser cooling of molecules. Furthermore, the experimental work of the DeMille group (Department of Physics, Yale University) will be presented. They successfully cooled down Strontium Monofluoride molecules via laser cooling and trapped them in one of the first magneto optical traps for molecules.