AC magnetic trap for cold paramagnetic molecules

Abstract

Strong-field-seeking states are the lowest-energy configurations for paramagnetic molecules in the magnetic field. Molecules in strong-field-seeking states cannot be trapped in a magnetostatic field because a magnetostatic maximum in free space is not allowed. In this paper, we propose an AC magnetic trap composed of two pairs of Helmholtz coils. The spatial magnetic field distribution is numerically calculated and the time-sequential control is depicted. We investigate the influence of the switching frequency and the electric current in the coils on the performance of our trap. Variations of the location and phase-space distribution during a whole switching cycle are simulated. Finally, we study the impact of time during which the field is switched off on the number of captured molecules in a switching cycle.