https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2004-00139-6
Formation of cold bialkali dimers on helium nanodroplets
1
Physikalisches Institut, Universität Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
2
Laboratoire Aimé Cotton, CNRS, Campus d'Orsay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
3
Fakultät für Physik, Universität Bielefeld, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
Corresponding author: a m.weidemueller@physik.uni-freiburg.de
Received:
1
July
2004
Published online:
26
October
2004
Cold alkali diatomic molecules (LiCs, NaCs) in the lowest
vibrational state of the electronic triplet ground state are
formed on superfluid helium nanodroplets. Using photoionization
detection the excitation spectra of the 
transitions are recorded. The splitting of the
vibrational structure in the LiCs spectrum, not observed in the
NaCs spectrum, is interpreted in terms of molecular fine
structure. The spectra are well reproduced by a model based on
quantum chemistry potential curves including spin-orbit coupling,
in combination with an asymmetric line shape function to account
for cluster-induced broadening. Our refined potential curves
provide important input data for the photoassociation of ultracold
dipolar alkali molecules from atomic quantum gases.
PACS: 36.40.Mr – Spectroscopy and geometrical structure of clusters / 34.50.Gb – Electronic excitation and ionization of molecules; intermediate molecular states (including lifetimes, state mixing, etc.) / 33.20.-t – Molecular spectra
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2004
