Obtaining control over the rotational and vibrational quantum state is a prerequisite for many applications of trapped molecular ions. I will discuss a technique to optically cool rotations of certain species of trapped molecular ions, using a single spectrally shaped broadband laser. I will also discuss our progress toward reading out the internal state of a single trapped molecular ion using a relatively simple nondestructive photon recoil technique. Finally, I will discuss prospects for measurement of time-varying fundamental constants using spectroscopy of a single trapped molecular ion.

Argonne Physics Division Colloquium Schedule