$\Lambda$-Enhanced Imaging of Molecules in an Optical Trap

Abstract

We report non-destructive imaging of optically trapped calcium monofluoride (CaF) molecules using in-situ $\Lambda$-enhanced gray molasses cooling. $200$ times more fluorescence is obtained compared to destructive on-resonance imaging, and the trapped molecules remain at a temperature of $20\,\mu\text{K}$. The achieved number of scattered photons makes possible non-destructive single-shot detection of single molecules with high fidelity.