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arXiv · 1305.4087

Decay rate measurement of the first vibrationally excited state of MgH$^+$ in a cryogenic Paul trap

O. O. Versolato·M. Schwarz·A. K. Hansen·A. D. Gingell·A. Windberger·Ł. Kłosowski·J. Ullrich·F. Jensen·J. R. Crespo López-Urrutia·M. Drewsen
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Abstract

We present a method to measure the decay rate of the first excited vibrational state of simple polar molecular ions being part of a Coulomb crystal in a cryogenic linear Paul trap. Specifically, we have monitored the decay of the $|\nu$=$1,J$=$1 \rangle_X$ towards the $|\nu$=$0,J$=$0 \rangle_X$ level in MgH$^+$ by saturated laser excitation of the $|\nu$=$0,J$=$2 \rangle_X$-$|\nu$=$1,J$=$1 \rangle_X$ transition followed by state selective resonance enhanced two-photon dissociation out of the $|\nu$=$0,J$=$2 \rangle_X$ level. The technique enables the determination of decay rates, and thus absorption strengths, with an accuracy at the few percent level.

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O. O. Versolato, M. Schwarz, A. K. Hansen, A. D. Gingell, A. Windberger, Ł. Kłosowski, J. Ullrich, F. Jensen, J. R. Crespo López-Urrutia, M. Drewsen. 2013-05-17. Decay rate measurement of the first vibrationally excited state of MgH$^+$ in a cryogenic Paul trap. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.111.053002

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