Confining CO molecules in stable orbits

A scheme is presented for the confinement of neutral molecules in stable orbits on the basis of the linear Stark effect in a properly designed electrostatic trap. Based on Stark shift measurements in electric fields up to 140 kV/cm, an electrode configuration which is, under realistic experimental conditions, capable of confining metastable CO(a(3)II) molecules with velocities up to 22 m/s is described. Metastable CO molecules can be laser-prepared inside the trap and their trajectories can be directly visualized via the spatially resolved detection of their fluorescence. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.