Using a non-selective broadband detection scheme we discovered an efficient
mechanism of formation of ultracold Cs2​ molecules in deeply bound levels
(v=1−9) of their electronic ground state X1Σg+​. 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.
We were able to form about 105−106 molecules per second in these low
vibrational levels of the ground state. This detection scheme could be
generalized to other molecular species for the systematic investigation of cold
molecule formation mechanisms.Comment: 4 page