Toward the production of quantum degenerate bosonic polar molecules, 41K87Rb

We review our experimental progress toward achieving the production of quantum degenerate bosonic polar molecules, (KRb)-K-41-Rb-87. Our primary goal is to transfer quantum degenerate Feshbach molecules into the absolute ground state via the stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP). We have achieved a dual-species Bose-Einstein condensate of K-41 and Rb-87 in a magnetic trap, which consists of N-K = 1.4 x 10(4) potassium atoms and N-Rb = 3.5 x 10(4) rubidium atoms. An optimum optical transition for STIRAP is being identified by a separate experiment based on photoassociation in a dual-species magneto-optical trap of K-41 and Rb-87.