Spectroscopic analysis of the coupled 11[capital Pi], 23[capital Sigma]+ ([capital Omega] = 0-, 1), and b3[capital Pi] ([capital Omega] = 0+/-, 1, 2) states of the KRb molecule using both ultracold molecules and molecular beam experiments

• Published in: Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP 2011-01, Vol.13 (42), p.18755-18761
• Main Authors: Kim, Jin-Tae, Lee, Yonghoon, Kim, Bongsoo, Wang, Dajun, Stwalley, William C, Gould, Phillip L, Eyler, Edward E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Electron states; Excitation spectra; Grounds; Molecular beams; Physical chemistry; Separation; Spectra; Spectroscopy
• ISSN: 1463-9076
• DOI: 10.1039/C1CP21207A

We report the spectroscopic characterization of excited electronic states of KRb by combining spectra from molecular beam (MB) experiments with those from ultracold molecules (UM) formed by photoassociation (PA) of ultracold atoms. Spectra involving the 11[capital Pi], 23[capital Sigma]+, and b3[capital Pi] states in a strongly perturbed region have been identified. This approach provides a powerful method to identify the vibrational levels of the excited electronic states perturbed globally by neighboring electronic states. This is because the two sets of spectra from the UM and the MB experiments probe the same energy region from very different initial electronic states. The UM experiments utilize high v[prime or minute][prime or minute] levels of the a3[capital Sigma]+ state with large internuclear separations, while the MB experiments utilize low v[prime or minute][prime or minute] levels of the ground X1[capital Sigma]+ state with near-equilibrium internuclear separations. Only the [capital Omega] = 1 levels of the 23[capital Sigma]+ and b3[capital Pi] states are observed in the MB spectra, while the [capital Omega] = 0-, 1 levels of the 23[capital Sigma]+ state and the [capital Omega] = 0+/-, 1, 2 levels of the b3[capital Pi] state are observed in the UM spectra.