Applications of Diatomic Molecules

Abstract

I present a study and application of diatomic molecules to various uses in the laboratory. It begins with an experiment to trap ultracold nitric oxide, then proceeds to multiple experiments where tellurium is utilized to create a frequency-stable laser system, and concludes with a spectroscopic study of $^{130}$Te$_2$ itself. While all of these experiments are quite different, they share at their core the fact that diatomics have a complex and interesting energy structure. Each experiment is aimed to exploit uniquely diatomic features.