A cryogenic apparatus with a rotatable substrate for matrix isolation spectroscopy of BaF in neon crystals down to 3.2 K
We present a new experimental apparatus for matrix isolation spectroscopy capable of growing cryogenic crystal matrices doped with barium monofluoride (BaF), a candidate for measurements of the electron electric dipole moment (eEDM). \\ In this work, BaF molecules are produced in a cryogenic buffer-gas source and used to dope a neon matrix grown on a substrate, cooled by a cryocooler, reaching temperatures as low as 3.2 K. A rotatable flange allows for multiple substrate orientations, optimizing spectroscopic investigations and matrix crystal growth. \\ Fluorescence emission analysis of BaF in neon crystal show emission when exciting the $A\,^2Π_{1/2}$, $A\,^2Π_{3/2}$ and $B\,^2Σ^+$ states, along with the presence of fluorescence from barium atoms in the crystal. A first estimation of the column density of BaF in the crystal is given on the order of $5 \times 10^{-13} \, \text{cm}^{-2}$. \\ We also demonstrated the production of BaF using parahydrogen as the buffer gas of the cryogenic source, a first step toward BaF molecules embedded in a para-hydrogen matrix. \\ Finally, we also observed fast fluorescence decay, attributed to optical bleaching effects, whose amplitude arise at lower temperatures or higher laser intensities, introducing a systematic effect to be studied in future experiments.