Manipulation of Individual Hyperfine States in Cold Trapped Molecular Ions and Application to HD+ Frequency Metrology

作者:Bressel U*; Borodin A; Shen J; Hansen M; Ernsting I; Schiller S
来源:Physical Review Letters, 2012, 108(18): 183003.
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.183003

摘要

Advanced techniques for manipulation of internal states, standard in atomic physics, are demonstrated for a charged molecular species for the first time. We address individual hyperfine states of rovibrational levels of a diatomic ion by optical excitation of individual hyperfine transitions, and achieve controlled transfer of population into a selected hyperfine state. We use molecular hydrogen ions (HD+) as a model system and employ a novel frequency-comb-based, continuous-wave 5 mu m laser spectrometer. The achieved spectral resolution is the highest obtained so far in the optical domain on a molecular ion species. As a consequence, we are also able to perform the most precise test yet of the ab initio theory of a molecule.

  • 出版日期2012-5-3