Abstract:
The development of techniques to cool/slow and trap atoms and molecules brought about a
revolution in atomic and molecular physics, with repercussions for physics at large. When
slowed/cooled down, molecules become matter waves whose properties differ vastly from
those of thermal matter. In particular, close to absolute zero temperature, the
interaction range among molecules increases far beyond their dimensions, lending them
strongly coveted collective and collisional properties. The latter are predicted to give
rise to a novel ultracold chemistry. In the talk, I'll outline the main techniques of
producing cold molecules, with emphasis on buffer-gas cooling and Stark deceleration.
Subsequently, I'll review ongoing and anticipated experiments with cold molecules,
including pioneering ventures concerning radiative lifetime measurements, reduction of
transit time broadening, measurements of ultracold collisional cross sections, and
finally testing of fundamental symmetries in nature, such as the time-reversal symmetry
and parity.