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 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) molecules per 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