Ultracold giant polyatomic Rydberg molecules: coherent control of molecular orientation

Abstract

We predict the existence of a class of ultracold giant molecules formed from trapped ultracold Rydberg atoms and polar molecules. The interaction which leads to the formation of such molecules is the anisotropic charge-dipole interaction ($a/R^2$). We show that prominent candidate molecules such as KRb and deuterated hydroxyl (OD) should bind to Rydberg rubidium atoms, with energies $E_b\simeq 5-25$ GHz at distances $R\simeq 0.1-1 \ \mu$m. These molecules form in double wells, mimicking chiral molecules, with each well containing a particular dipole orientation. We prepare a set of correlated dressed electron-dipole eigenstates which are used in a resonant Raman scheme to coherently control the dipole orientation and to create cat-like entangled states of the polar molecule.