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Mabrouk N, Dhiflaoui J, Saidi S, Bejaoui M, Alharzali N, Berriche H. Potential Energy Surface and Bound States of Ne-Li 2+( X2Σ g+) van der Waals Complex Based on Ab Initio Calculations. J Phys Chem A 2023; 127:9167-9177. [PMID: 37890154 PMCID: PMC10641847 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.3c03811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Theoretical studies of the potential energy surface and vibrational bound states calculations were performed for the ground state of the Ne-Li2+(X2Σg+) van der Waals (vdW) complex. The intermolecular interactions were investigated by using an accurate monoconfigurational RCCSD(T) method and large basis sets (aug-cc-pVnZ, n = T, Q, 5), extrapolated to the complete basis set (CBS) limit. In turn, the obtained raw data from RCCSD(T)/CBS(Q5) calculations were numerically interpolated using the Morse + vdW model and the Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space (RKHS) polynomial method to generate analytic expressions for the 2D-PES. The RKHS interpolated PES was then used to assess the bound states of the Ne-Li2+(X2Σg+) system through nuclear quantum calculations. By studying the aspect of the potential energy surface, the analysis sheds light on the behavior of the Ne-Li2+(X2Σg+) complex and its interactions between repulsive and attractive forces with other particles. By examining the vibrational states and wave functions of the system, the researchers were able to gain a better understanding of the behavior of the Ne-Li2+(X2Σg+) complex. The calculated radial and angular distributions for all even and odd symmetries are discussed in detail. We observe that the radial distributions exhibit a more complicated nodal structure, representing stretching vibrational behavior in the neon atom along its radial coordinate. For the highest bound states, the situation is very different, and the energies surpass the angular barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nesrine Mabrouk
- Laboratory
of Interfaces and Advanced Materials, Physics Department, Faculty
of Sciences of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir 5019, Tunisia
| | - Jamila Dhiflaoui
- Laboratory
of Interfaces and Advanced Materials, Physics Department, Faculty
of Sciences of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir 5019, Tunisia
| | - Samah Saidi
- Laboratory
of Interfaces and Advanced Materials, Physics Department, Faculty
of Sciences of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir 5019, Tunisia
- Department
of Physics, College of Science and Humanities in Al-Kharj, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 16273, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed Bejaoui
- Laboratory
of Interfaces and Advanced Materials, Physics Department, Faculty
of Sciences of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir 5019, Tunisia
| | - Nissrin Alharzali
- Laboratory
of Interfaces and Advanced Materials, Physics Department, Faculty
of Sciences of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir 5019, Tunisia
- Department
of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava 814 99, Slovakia
| | - Hamid Berriche
- Laboratory
of Interfaces and Advanced Materials, Physics Department, Faculty
of Sciences of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir 5019, Tunisia
- Mathematics
and Physics Department, School of Arts and Sciences, American University of Ras Al Khaimah, Ras Al-Khaimah 10021, United Arab Emirates
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2
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Kranabetter L, Kristensen HH, Ghazaryan A, Schouder CA, Chatterley AS, Janssen P, Jensen F, Zillich RE, Lemeshko M, Stapelfeldt H. Nonadiabatic Laser-Induced Alignment Dynamics of Molecules on a Surface. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 131:053201. [PMID: 37595218 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.131.053201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate that a sodium dimer, Na_{2}(1^{3}Σ_{u}^{+}), residing on the surface of a helium nanodroplet, can be set into rotation by a nonresonant 1.0 ps infrared laser pulse. The time-dependent degree of alignment measured, exhibits a periodic, gradually decreasing structure that deviates qualitatively from that expected for gas-phase dimers. Comparison to alignment dynamics calculated from the time-dependent rotational Schrödinger equation shows that the deviation is due to the alignment dependent interaction between the dimer and the droplet surface. This interaction confines the dimer to the tangential plane of the droplet surface at the point where it resides and is the reason that the observed alignment dynamics is also well described by a 2D quantum rotor model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenz Kranabetter
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Henrik H Kristensen
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Areg Ghazaryan
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Constant A Schouder
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, LIDYL, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Adam S Chatterley
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Paul Janssen
- Anorganisch-Chemisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Frank Jensen
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Robert E Zillich
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, Altenbergerstraße 69, A-4040 Linz, Austria
| | - Mikhail Lemeshko
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Henrik Stapelfeldt
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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Kristensen HH, Kranabetter L, Schouder CA, Stapper C, Arlt J, Mudrich M, Stapelfeldt H. Quantum-State-Sensitive Detection of Alkali Dimers on Helium Nanodroplets by Laser-Induced Coulomb Explosion. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2022; 128:093201. [PMID: 35302820 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.128.093201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Rubidium dimers residing on the surface of He nanodroplets are doubly ionized by an intense femtosecond laser pulse leading to fragmentation into a pair of Rb^{+} ions. We show that the kinetic energy of the Rb^{+} fragment ions can be used to identify dimers formed in either the X ^{1}Σ_{g}^{+} ground state or in the lowest-lying triplet state, a ^{3}Σ_{u}^{+}. From the experiment, we estimate the abundance ratio of dimers in the a and X states as a function of the mean droplet size and find values between 4∶1 and 5∶1. Our technique applies generally to dimers and trimers of alkali atoms, here also demonstrated for Li_{2}, Na_{2}, and K_{2}, and will enable femtosecond time-resolved measurements of their rotational and vibrational dynamics, possibly with atomic structural resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik H Kristensen
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Lorenz Kranabetter
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Constant A Schouder
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Christoph Stapper
- Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Campus Süd, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jacqueline Arlt
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Marcel Mudrich
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Henrik Stapelfeldt
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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4
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Theoretical study of the low-lying doublet and quartet electronic states of 7Li16O molecule including spin-orbit coupling effect and a new limit to the adiabatic ionization energy. Chem Phys 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphys.2021.111123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Abstract
AbstractWe have measured depletion spectra of the heteronuclear (85Rb87Rb+) dimer cation complexed with up to 10 He atoms. Two absorption bands are observed between 920 and 250 nm. The transition into the repulsive 12Σu+state of HeRb2+gives rise to a broad feature at 790 nm (12,650 cm−1); it exhibits a blueshift of 98 cm−1per added He atom. The transition into the bound 12Πustate of HeRb2+reveals vibrational structure with a band head at ≤ 15,522 cm−1, a harmonic constant of 26 cm−1, and a spin–orbit splitting of ≤ 183 cm−1. The band experiences an average redshift of − 38 cm−1per added He atom. Ab initio calculations rationalize the shape of the spectra and spectral shifts with respect to the number of helium atoms attached. For a higher number of solvating helium atoms, symmetric solvation on both ends of the Rb2+ion is predicted.
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Chatterley AS, Christiansen L, Schouder CA, Jørgensen AV, Shepperson B, Cherepanov IN, Bighin G, Zillich RE, Lemeshko M, Stapelfeldt H. Rotational Coherence Spectroscopy of Molecules in Helium Nanodroplets: Reconciling the Time and the Frequency Domains. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 125:013001. [PMID: 32678640 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.125.013001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Alignment of OCS, CS_{2}, and I_{2} molecules embedded in helium nanodroplets is measured as a function of time following rotational excitation by a nonresonant, comparatively weak ps laser pulse. The distinct peaks in the power spectra, obtained by Fourier analysis, are used to determine the rotational, B, and centrifugal distortion, D, constants. For OCS, B and D match the values known from IR spectroscopy. For CS_{2} and I_{2}, they are the first experimental results reported. The alignment dynamics calculated from the gas-phase rotational Schrödinger equation, using the experimental in-droplet B and D values, agree in detail with the measurement for all three molecules. The rotational spectroscopy technique for molecules in helium droplets introduced here should apply to a range of molecules and complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam S Chatterley
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Lars Christiansen
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Constant A Schouder
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Anders V Jørgensen
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Benjamin Shepperson
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Igor N Cherepanov
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Giacomo Bighin
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Robert E Zillich
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, Altenbergerstraße 69, A-4040 Linz, Austria
| | - Mikhail Lemeshko
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Henrik Stapelfeldt
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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Ghosh A, Cederbaum LS, Gokhberg K. Electron transfer mediated decay in HeLi 2 cluster: Potential energy surfaces and decay widths. J Chem Phys 2019; 150:164309. [PMID: 31042888 DOI: 10.1063/1.5082952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Electron transfer mediated decay (ETMD) is a process responsible for double ionization of dopants in He droplets. It is initiated by producing He+ in the droplet, which is neutralized by ETMD, and has been shown to strongly enhance the dopant's double ionization cross section. The efficiency of ETMD, the spectra of emitted secondary electrons, and the character of the ionic products depend on the nuclear dynamics during the decay. To date, there has been no theoretical investigation of multimode dynamics which accompanies ETMD, which could help to understand such dynamics in a He droplet. In this article, we consider the He-Li2 cluster where an ab initio examination of multimode dynamics during the electronic decay is feasible. Moreover, this cluster can serve as a minimal model for Li2 adsorbed on the droplet's surface-a system where ETMD can be observed experimentally. In He droplets, Li2 can be formed in both the ground X1Σg + and the first excited a3Σu + states. In this article, we present ab initio potential energy surfaces of the electronic states of the He-Li2 cluster involved in ETMD, as well as the respective decay widths. We show that the structure of these surfaces and expected nuclear dynamics strongly depend on the electronic state of Li2. Thus, the overall decay rate and the appearance of the observable electron spectra will be dictated by the electronic structure of the dopant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aryya Ghosh
- Theoretische Chemie, Physikalisch-Chemisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 229, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lorenz S Cederbaum
- Theoretische Chemie, Physikalisch-Chemisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 229, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kirill Gokhberg
- Theoretische Chemie, Physikalisch-Chemisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 229, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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Lackner F, Krois G, Ernst WE. Lithium atoms on helium nanodroplets: Rydberg series and ionization dynamics. J Chem Phys 2018; 147:184302. [PMID: 29141430 DOI: 10.1063/1.5004543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The electronic excitation spectrum of lithium atoms residing on the surface of helium nanodroplets is presented and analyzed employing a Rydberg-Ritz approach. Utilizing resonant two-photon ionization spectroscopy, two different Rydberg series have been identified: one assigned to the nS(Σ) series and the other with predominantly nP(Π) character. For high Rydberg states, which have been resolved up to n = 13, the surrounding helium effectively screens the valence electron from the Li ion core, as indicated by the apparent red-shift of Li transitions and lowered quantum defects on the droplet with respect to their free atom counterparts. For low n states, the screening effect is weakened and the prevailing repulsive interaction gives rise to strongly broadened and blue-shifted transitions. The red-shifts originate from the polarization of nearby He atoms by the positive Li ion core. As a consequence of this effect, the ionization threshold is lowered by 116 ± 10 cm-1 for Li on helium droplets with a radius of about 40 Å. Upon single-photon ionization, heavy complexes corresponding to Li ions attached to intact helium droplets are detected. We conclude that ionization close to the on-droplet ionization threshold triggers a dynamic process in which the Li ion core undergoes a transition from a surface site into the droplet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Lackner
- Institute of Experimental Physics, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Günter Krois
- Institute of Experimental Physics, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Wolfgang E Ernst
- Institute of Experimental Physics, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, 8010 Graz, Austria
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9
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Vindel Zandbergen P, Barranco M, Cargnoni F, Drabbels M, Pi M, Halberstadt N. Helium-induced electronic transitions in photo-excited Ba+–Hen exciplexes. J Chem Phys 2018; 148:144302. [DOI: 10.1063/1.5022863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Vindel Zandbergen
- Laboratoire Collisions Agrégats Réactivité (LCAR), IRSAMC, Université de Toulouse, CNRS UMR 5589, Toulouse, France
| | - Manuel Barranco
- Laboratoire Collisions Agrégats Réactivité (LCAR), IRSAMC, Université de Toulouse, CNRS UMR 5589, Toulouse, France
- Departament FQA, Facultat de Física, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Marcel Drabbels
- Laboratory of Molecular Nanodynamics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martí Pi
- Departament FQA, Facultat de Física, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nadine Halberstadt
- Laboratoire Collisions Agrégats Réactivité (LCAR), IRSAMC, Université de Toulouse, CNRS UMR 5589, Toulouse, France
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Ancilotto F, Barranco M, Coppens F, Eloranta J, Halberstadt N, Hernando A, Mateo D, Pi M. Density functional theory of doped superfluid liquid helium and nanodroplets. INT REV PHYS CHEM 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/0144235x.2017.1351672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Ancilotto
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia ‘Galileo Galilei’ and CNISM, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
- CNR-IOM Democritos, Trieste, Italy
| | - Manuel Barranco
- Facultat de Física, Departament FQA, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Laboratoire des Collisions, Agrégats et Réactivité, IRSAMC, Université Toulouse 3 and CNRS, Toulouse Cedex 09, France
| | - François Coppens
- Laboratoire des Collisions, Agrégats et Réactivité, IRSAMC, Université Toulouse 3 and CNRS, Toulouse Cedex 09, France
| | - Jussi Eloranta
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University at Northridge, Northridge, CA, USA
| | - Nadine Halberstadt
- Laboratoire des Collisions, Agrégats et Réactivité, IRSAMC, Université Toulouse 3 and CNRS, Toulouse Cedex 09, France
| | - Alberto Hernando
- Social Thermodynamics Applied Research (SThAR), EPFL Innovation Park, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - David Mateo
- Applied Complexity Group, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Martí Pi
- Facultat de Física, Departament FQA, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Pototschnig JV, Lackner F, Hauser AW, Ernst WE. Rydberg states of alkali atoms on superfluid helium nanodroplets: inside or outside? Phys Chem Chem Phys 2017; 19:14718-14728. [PMID: 28540939 PMCID: PMC5708348 DOI: 10.1039/c7cp02332d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Electronic excitations of an electron bound to an alkali metal ion inside a droplet of superfluid 4He are computed via a combination of helium density functional theory and the numerical integration of the Schrödinger equation for a single electron in a modified, He density dependent atomic pseudopotential. The application of a spectral method to the radial part of the valence electron wavefunction allows the computation of highly excited Rydberg states. For low principal quantum numbers, the energy required to push the electron outward is larger than the solvation energy of the ion. However, for higher principal quantum numbers the situation is reversed, which suggests the stability of a system where the ion sits inside the droplet while the valence electron orbits the nanodroplet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johann V. Pototschnig
- Institute of Experimental Physics , Graz University of Technology , Petersgasse 16 , A-8010 Graz , Austria . ;
| | - Florian Lackner
- Institute of Experimental Physics , Graz University of Technology , Petersgasse 16 , A-8010 Graz , Austria . ;
| | - Andreas W. Hauser
- Institute of Experimental Physics , Graz University of Technology , Petersgasse 16 , A-8010 Graz , Austria . ;
| | - Wolfgang E. Ernst
- Institute of Experimental Physics , Graz University of Technology , Petersgasse 16 , A-8010 Graz , Austria . ;
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Krois G, Lackner F, Pototschnig JV, Buchsteiner T, Ernst WE. Characterization of RbSr molecules: spectral analysis on helium droplets. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2014; 16:22373-81. [DOI: 10.1039/c4cp03135k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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14
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Loginov E, Drabbels M. Dynamics of Excited Sodium Atoms Attached to Helium Nanodroplets. J Phys Chem A 2014; 118:2738-48. [DOI: 10.1021/jp4121996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniy Loginov
- Laboratoire de Chimie Physique
Moléculaire, Ecole polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marcel Drabbels
- Laboratoire de Chimie Physique
Moléculaire, Ecole polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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15
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Krois G, Pototschnig JV, Lackner F, Ernst WE. Spectroscopy of cold LiCa molecules formed on helium nanodroplets. J Phys Chem A 2013; 117:13719-31. [PMID: 24028555 PMCID: PMC3871282 DOI: 10.1021/jp407818k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2013] [Revised: 09/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We report on the formation of mixed alkali-alkaline earth molecules (LiCa) on helium nanodroplets and present a comprehensive experimental and theoretical study of the ground and excited states of LiCa. Resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization time-of-flight (REMPI-TOF) spectroscopy and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy were used for the experimental investigation of LiCa from 15000 to 25500 cm(-1). The 4(2)Σ(+) and 3(2)Π states show a vibrational structure accompanied by distinct phonon wings, which allows us to determine molecular parameters as well as to study the interaction of the molecule with the helium droplet. Higher excited states (4(2)Π, 5(2)Σ(+), 5(2)Π, and 6(2)Σ(+)) are not vibrationally resolved and vibronic transitions start to overlap. The experimental spectrum is well reproduced by high-level ab initio calculations. By using a multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) approach, we calculated the 19 lowest lying potential energy curves (PECs) of the LiCa molecule. On the basis of these calculations, we could identify previously unobserved transitions. Our results demonstrate that the helium droplet isolation approach is a powerful method for the characterization of tailor-made alkali-alkaline earth molecules. In this way, important contributions can be made to the search for optimal pathways toward the creation of ultracold alkali-alkaline earth ground state molecules from the corresponding atomic species. Furthermore, a test for PECs calculated by ab initio methods is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Günter Krois
- Institute of Experimental Physics, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, A-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Johann V. Pototschnig
- Institute of Experimental Physics, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, A-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Florian Lackner
- Institute of Experimental Physics, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, A-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Wolfgang E. Ernst
- Institute of Experimental Physics, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, A-8010 Graz, Austria
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