Polyatomic molecules offer many applications in quantum science once the wealth of internal and external degrees of freedom can be controlled. A widely applicable approach for controlling the rotational states of trapped polyatomic molecules is presented in this thesis. It includes the development of a rotational-state detection method, rotational-state cooling via optical pumping, and the preparation of a motionally cold (~30 mK) ensemble of 10
6 trapped CH
3F molecules in a single rotational state.
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Polyatomic molecules offer many applications in quantum science once the wealth of internal and external degrees of freedom can be controlled. A widely applicable approach for controlling the rotational states of trapped polyatomic molecules is presented in this thesis. It includes the development of a rotational-state detection method, rotational-state cooling via optical pumping, and the preparation of a motionally cold (~30 mK) ensemble of 10
6 trapped CH
3F molecules in a single rotational sta...
»