Efficient formation of deeply bound ultracold molecules probed by broadband detection

Using a nonselective broadband detection scheme we discovered an efficient mechanism of formation of ultracold ${\mathrm{Cs}}_2$ molecules in deeply bound vibrational levels $(v=1–9)$ of their electronic ground state $X{}^1\Sigma _g^{+}$. They are formed by a one-photon photoassociation of ultracold cesium atoms in a manifold of excited electronic states, followed by a two-step spontaneous emission cascade. This process creates about ${10}^5–{10}^6\text{molecules}\text{per}\text{second}$. This detection scheme is an advancement compare to previous ones and could be generalized to other molecular species for the systematic investigation of cold molecule formation mechanisms.