Creation and precise spectroscopy of $^{86}$Sr$_2$ halo molecules

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Iritani, Brandon, Huang, Jingjing, Xu, Wenwei, Sim, Gisung, Moszynski, Robert, Zelevinsky, Tanya
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Iritani, Brandon
Huang, Jingjing
Xu, Wenwei
Sim, Gisung
Moszynski, Robert
Zelevinsky, Tanya
author_facet Iritani, Brandon
Huang, Jingjing
Xu, Wenwei
Sim, Gisung
Moszynski, Robert
Zelevinsky, Tanya
contents We report on the creation of $^{86}$Sr$_2$ molecules in the halo state and neighboring weakly bound states. Efficient molecule production via one-photon photoassociation relies on sufficient wavefunction overlap between the target vibrational states in the electronic excited- and ground-state potentials. Using Autler-Townes spectroscopy, transition strengths are measured to identify optimal pathways for production of weakly bound molecules. Vibrational splittings for the three least-bound vibrational states are measured, and dominant systematic uncertainties are evaluated with uncertainties below 100 Hz. From these splittings, absolute binding energies for these weakly bound vibrational states are determined. The results pave the way to a molecular isotope shift measurement with Sr$_2$.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_06319
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Creation and precise spectroscopy of $^{86}$Sr$_2$ halo molecules
Iritani, Brandon
Huang, Jingjing
Xu, Wenwei
Sim, Gisung
Moszynski, Robert
Zelevinsky, Tanya
Atomic Physics
Atomic and Molecular Clusters
Chemical Physics
Quantum Physics
We report on the creation of $^{86}$Sr$_2$ molecules in the halo state and neighboring weakly bound states. Efficient molecule production via one-photon photoassociation relies on sufficient wavefunction overlap between the target vibrational states in the electronic excited- and ground-state potentials. Using Autler-Townes spectroscopy, transition strengths are measured to identify optimal pathways for production of weakly bound molecules. Vibrational splittings for the three least-bound vibrational states are measured, and dominant systematic uncertainties are evaluated with uncertainties below 100 Hz. From these splittings, absolute binding energies for these weakly bound vibrational states are determined. The results pave the way to a molecular isotope shift measurement with Sr$_2$.
title Creation and precise spectroscopy of $^{86}$Sr$_2$ halo molecules
topic Atomic Physics
Atomic and Molecular Clusters
Chemical Physics
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.06319