Formation of ultracold heteronuclear dimers in electric fields

The formation of ultracold molecules via stimulated emission followed by a radiative de-excitation cascade in the presence of a static electric field is investigated. By analyzing the corresponding cross-sections, we demonstrate the possibility to populate the lowest rotational excitations via photoassociation. The modification of the radiative cascade due to the electric field leads to narrow rotational state distributions in the vibrational ground state. External fields might therefore represent an additional valuable tool towards the ultimate goal of quantum state preparation of molecules. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2007.