Resonant excitation of trapped molecules in a molecular synchrotron

We characterize a synchrotron for polar molecules that consists of forty straight hexapoles arranged in a circle. By modulating either the voltages or the duration of the high-voltage pulses that are applied to the hexapoles, we shake the transverse and longitudinal well. If the frequency of the modulation matches a characteristic frequency of a stored molecule, the amplitude of the motion is resonantly excited, leading to a decrease in the number of molecules that are stored. From this, we determine the longitudinal, vertical, and radial frequencies that characterize the motion of the molecules inside the synchrotron and obtain knowledge about the couplings between the longitidinal and transverse motion. The measured frequencies are in good agreement with those obtained from three-dimensional trajectory calculations. © 2013 American Physical Society.