Quantum-logic spectroscopy of forbidden vibrational transitions in single nitrogen molecular ions

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Shlykov, Aleksandr, Diouf, Meissa L., Karl, Richard, Roguski, Mikolaj, Joshi, Umesh C., Willitsch, Stefan
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Shlykov, Aleksandr
Diouf, Meissa L.
Karl, Richard
Roguski, Mikolaj
Joshi, Umesh C.
Willitsch, Stefan
author_facet Shlykov, Aleksandr
Diouf, Meissa L.
Karl, Richard
Roguski, Mikolaj
Joshi, Umesh C.
Willitsch, Stefan
contents Electric-dipole forbidden spectroscopic transitions in atoms form the basis of many advanced implementations of quantum computers, atomic clocks and quantum sensors. Coherently addressing such transitions in molecules which are among the most ubiquitous and versatile quantum objects has remained a long-standing challenge owing to their complex energy-level structure. Here, we report the search, observation and coherent manipulation of electric-quadrupole rotational-vibrational transitions in single trapped molecules using a quantum-logic-spectroscopy protocol. We identified individual hyperfine-Zeeman-rotational components of the fundamental vibrational transition of the nitrogen molecular ion, N$_2^+$, and performed coherent population transfer between energy levels. Our work opens up new perspectives for precision molecular spectroscopy, for high-fidelity qubits encoded in the rotational-vibrational motion of molecules, for precise infrared molecular clocks and for searches for new physics
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_10553
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Quantum-logic spectroscopy of forbidden vibrational transitions in single nitrogen molecular ions
Shlykov, Aleksandr
Diouf, Meissa L.
Karl, Richard
Roguski, Mikolaj
Joshi, Umesh C.
Willitsch, Stefan
Atomic Physics
Chemical Physics
Quantum Physics
Electric-dipole forbidden spectroscopic transitions in atoms form the basis of many advanced implementations of quantum computers, atomic clocks and quantum sensors. Coherently addressing such transitions in molecules which are among the most ubiquitous and versatile quantum objects has remained a long-standing challenge owing to their complex energy-level structure. Here, we report the search, observation and coherent manipulation of electric-quadrupole rotational-vibrational transitions in single trapped molecules using a quantum-logic-spectroscopy protocol. We identified individual hyperfine-Zeeman-rotational components of the fundamental vibrational transition of the nitrogen molecular ion, N$_2^+$, and performed coherent population transfer between energy levels. Our work opens up new perspectives for precision molecular spectroscopy, for high-fidelity qubits encoded in the rotational-vibrational motion of molecules, for precise infrared molecular clocks and for searches for new physics
title Quantum-logic spectroscopy of forbidden vibrational transitions in single nitrogen molecular ions
topic Atomic Physics
Chemical Physics
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.10553