This talk will describe our recent progress towards exploiting laser-induced forces on diatomic molecules for slowing and cooling. We will describe recent experiments demonstrating the 1-D transverse laser cooling and longitudinal slowing of a beam of strontium monofluoride (SrF), and progress towards magneto-optical trapping of SrF. We will also describe studies on the feasibility of several new directions, including laser cooling of thallium monofluoride (TlF); transverse confinement during laser slowing of a molecular beam; and new methods for stimulated-force slowing of molecules.
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