Decay Rate Measurement of the First Vibrationally Excited State of MgH+ in a Cryogenic Paul Trap

作者：Versolato O O^*; Schwarz M; Hansen A K; Gingell A D; Windberger A; Klosowski L; Ullrich J; Jensen F; Lopez Urrutia J R Crespo; Drewsen M

来源：Physical Review Letters, 2013, 111(5): 053002.

DOI：10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.053002

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 vertical bar nu = 1, J = 1 %26gt;(X) towards the vertical bar nu = 0, J = 0 %26gt;(X) level in MgH+ by saturated laser excitation of the vertical bar nu = 0, J = 2 %26gt;(X)-vertical bar nu = 1, J = 1 %26gt;(X) transition followed by state selective resonance enhanced two-photon dissociation out of the vertical bar nu = 0, J = 2 %26gt;(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.

• 出版日期2013-7-30