Electrostatic lattice preventing the nonadiabatic transition for cold polar molecules based on a molecular chip

An electrostatic lattice is composed of many micro-scale traps. It is a powerful tool for manipulating cold polar molecules on a chip with the help of the interaction between the dipole moment and the inhomogeneous electric field. To the best of our knowledge, the existing electrostatic lattice still suffers the nonadiabatic transition that will lead to the escape of molecules from the electrostatic trap. In the paper, we skillfully design the electrode structure to avoid the zero-field zone at the center of every single microtrap, and the nonadiabatic transitions can be prevented. First, we numerically calculate the distribution of the spatial electrostatic field. Then, the influences of voltages on the electric field intensity and the height of the trap center are investigated. We simulate of the trajectory of molecules using the Monte Carlo method and figure out the factors impacting the loading efficiency of our electrostatic lattice. At last, we discuss how the voltages and the loading positions affect the positional distribution of trapped molecules.

Automated summary

An electrostatic lattice, composed of micro-scale traps, is a powerful tool for manipulating cold polar molecules on a chip. However, nonadiabatic transitions in the existing electrostatic lattice often lead to molecule escape. In this paper, we propose a new electrode structure to avoid the zero-field zone at the trap center, effectively preventing nonadiabatic transitions. We numerically calculate the spatial electrostatic field distribution, investigate the effects of voltages on field intensity and trap center height, simulate molecule trajectories using Monte Carlo method, and analyze the factors affecting loading efficiency and positional distribution of trapped molecules.