ALP Seminar: Magic-Wavelength Trapping for Rotational States of RbCs Molecules

Rotational states of ultracold polar molecules trapped in optical lattices or optical tweezers can be used to encode qubits, pseudo-spins or synthetic dimensions, enabled by their long lifetimes and controllable, anisotropic dipolar interactions. These applications require robust coherent superpositions of rotational states, but differential ac Stark shifts induced by the trapping light can cause substantial dephasing. In this talk, I will present my PhD research on understanding and controlling these light shifts in RbCs molecules. We explore magic-wavelength trapping of rotational states in RbCs molecules near a narrow electronic transition. With transition parameters measured by high-precision spectroscopy, we are able to develop a quantitative model of the molecular light shifts. Under these magic conditions, we demonstrate second-scale coherence times and observe dipolar interactions. Together, these advances provide a foundation for harnessing molecular rotational states for quantum computation and quantum simulation.