Cavity based non-destructive detection of photoassociation in a dark MOT

The photoassociation (PA) of rubidium dimer (Rb2) in a dark magneto-optic trap (MOT) is studied using atom-cavity collective strong coupling. This allows non-destructive detection of the molecule formation process as well as rapid and repeated interrogation of the atom-molecule system. The vacuum Rabi splitting (VRS) measurements from the bright MOT are carefully calibrated against equivalent measurements with fluorescence. Further loading rates in dark MOT are determined using VRS. This method provides a reliable, fast, and non-destructive detection scheme for ultracold molecules when the atoms are non-fluorescing using the free atoms coupled to a cavity.