Fluorescence branching ratios and magnetic tuning of the visible spectrum of SrOH

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetic tuning and fluorescence branching ratios of SrOH, providing detailed spectroscopic data and modeling that aid in laser cooling and trapping applications.

Contribution

It offers the first detailed experimental and theoretical analysis of magnetic effects and fluorescence branching in SrOH relevant for laser cooling.

Findings

Magnetic g-factors are experimentally determined and compared with perturbation theory.

Fluorescence branching ratios are measured and matched with Franck-Condon calculations.

Effective Hamiltonian models successfully describe Zeeman shifts in SrOH.

Abstract

The magnetic tuning of the low rotational levels in the Xsigma+(0,0,0), Api(0,0,0), and Bsigma+ (0,0,0) electronic states of strontium hydroxide, SrOH, have been experimentally investigated using high resolution optical Zeeman spectroscopy of a cold molecular beam sample. The observed Zeeman shifts and splittings are successfully modeled using a traditional effective Hamiltonian approach to account for the interaction between the Api and Bsigma+ states. The determined magnetic g-factors for the Xsigma+, Api , and Bsigma+ states are compared to those predicted by perturbation theory. The dispersed fluorescence resulting from laser excitation of rotationally resolved branch features of the Bsigma+ (0,0,0)<Xsigma+(0,0,0) Api(0,0,0)< Xsigma+(0,0,0) transitions have been recorded and analyzed. The measured fluorescence branching ratios are compared with Franck-Condon calculations. The required bending motion wave functions are derived using a discrete variable representation (DVR) method. Implications for laser slowing and magneto-optical trapping experiments for SrOH are described.