Rotationally Resolved Spectroscopy of a Single Polyatomic Molecule

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates high-resolution rotationally resolved spectroscopy of a single polyatomic molecular ion, showcasing IRS as a precise tool for molecular analysis with applications in astrochemistry and fundamental physics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel application of inelastic recoil spectroscopy for resolving rotational-vibrational spectra of a single polyatomic ion.

Findings

Achieved spectral resolution of rotational-vibrational transitions.

Successfully observed resolved rotational-vibrational spectrum of c-C3H3+.

Validated IRS as a high-precision platform for molecular spectroscopy.

Abstract

We report the rotationally resolved spectrum of a single polyatomic molecular ion in the gas phase. Building upon the recently developed inelastic recoil spectroscopy (IRS) technique, we have achieved a spectral resolution sufficient to observe resolved rotational-vibrational transitions of a trapped cyclopropenyl cation, c-C3H3+. The high precision of IRS shown in this work presents an attractive platform for astrochemistry, single molecule chiral detection, and tests of fundamental physics.