Creation of a low-entropy quantum gas of polar molecules in an optical lattice

Abstract

Filling a molecular lattice of light Cold atoms in optical lattices normally interact only when two of them occupy the same lattice site. More-complex interactions would expand the potential of the system for quantum simulation. A promising approach is to use polar molecules instead of atoms, which interact at much longer length scales. However, “packing” the lattice with molecules is tricky. Moses et al. introduced bosonic 87 Rb atoms and fermionic 40 K atoms into an optical lattice, combined them into molecules, and brought the molecules into their ground state, achieving a considerable lattice filling of 25%. Science , this issue p. 659