Versolato OO, Schwarz M, Hansen AK, Gingell AD, Windberger A, Kłosowski L, Ullrich J, Jensen F, Crespo López-Urrutia JR, Drewsen M. Decay rate measurement of the first vibrationally excited state of MgH+ in a cryogenic Paul trap.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2013;
111:053002. [PMID:
23952392 DOI:
10.1103/physrevlett.111.053002]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
We present a method to measure the decay rate of the first excited vibrational state of polar molecular ions that are part of a Coulomb crystal in a cryogenic linear Paul trap. Specifically, we have monitored the decay of the |ν = 1, J = 1)(X) towards the |ν = 0, J = 0)(X) level in MgH+ by saturated laser excitation of the |ν = 0, J = 2)(X)-|ν = 1, J = 1)(X) transition followed by state selective resonance enhanced two-photon dissociation out of the |ν = 0, J=2)(X) level. The experimentally observed rate of 6.32(0.69) s(-1) is in excellent agreement with the theory value of 6.13(0.03) s(-1) (this Letter). The technique enables the determination of decay rates, and thus absorption strengths, with an accuracy at the few percent level.
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