Formation and spectroscopy of ultracold Cs/sub 2/ molecules

Summary form only given. In contrast to atoms, laser cooling of molecules is very difficult because of the lack of a closed two-level scheme for recycling the population. The molecular photoassociation of cold atoms opens a promising alternative for the formation of cold molecules. The photoassociative spectra are obtained by the usual trap-loss method as well as by pulsed laser photoionization of Cs/sub 2/ molecules into Cs/sub 2//sup +/ ions. Different schemes to obtain formation of cold molecules through photoassociation will be discussed.