Optically accessible electrostatic trap for cold polar molecules

We propose an optically accessible electrostatic trap scheme to confine cold polar molecules by using two charged spherical electrodes, and we calculate the corresponding electric field distribution and the Stark trapping potential for ND3 molecules. We also propose a desirable scheme to realize an efficient loading of cold polar molecules in weak-field-seeking states, and our simulated results show that the maximal loading efficiency can reach similar to 14%. In addition, we briefly discuss some potential applications of our proposed trap scheme in the studies of optical-potential evaporative cooling and electrostatic surface traps for cold polar molecules. (C) 2013 Optical Society of America