Radiative lifetime of the A 2Π1/2 state in RaF with relevance to laser cooling

ISOLDE Collaboration

Radiative lifetime of the A ²Π_1/2 state in RaF with relevance to laser cooling

ISOLDE Collaboration

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The radiative lifetime of the A²Π_1/2(v = 0) state in radium monofluoride (RaF) is measured to be 35(1) ns. The lifetime of this state and the related decay rate Γ = 2.86(8) × 10⁷s⁻¹are of relevance to the laser cooling of RaF via the optically closed A ²Π_1/2 ← X ²Σ_1/2 transition, which makes the molecule a promising probe to search for new physics. RaF is found to have a
comparable photon-scattering rate to homoelectronic laser-coolable molecules. Thanks to its highly diagonal Franck-Condon matrix, it is expected to scatter an order of magnitude more photons than other molecules when using just 3 cooling lasers, before it decays to a dark state. The lifetime measurement in RaF is benchmarked by measuring the lifetime of the 8P_3/2 state in Fr to be 83(3) ns, in agreement with literature.

Original language	English
Journal	Physical Review A: Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 6 Jun 2024

Embargoed Document

2403.09336v2
Accepted author manuscript, 6.94 MB
Licence: CC BY
Embargo ends: 12/07/25

Cite this

@article{c8efa8ca52654d9989d8a398958259b1,

title = "Radiative lifetime of the A 2Π1/2 state in RaF with relevance to laser cooling",

abstract = "The radiative lifetime of the A 2Π1/2 (v = 0) state in radium monofluoride (RaF) is measured to be 35(1) ns. The lifetime of this state and the related decay rate Γ = 2.86(8) × 107 s−1 are of relevance to the laser cooling of RaF via the optically closed A 2Π1/2 ← X 2Σ1/2 transition, which makes the molecule a promising probe to search for new physics. RaF is found to have acomparable photon-scattering rate to homoelectronic laser-coolable molecules. Thanks to its highly diagonal Franck-Condon matrix, it is expected to scatter an order of magnitude more photons than other molecules when using just 3 cooling lasers, before it decays to a dark state. The lifetime measurement in RaF is benchmarked by measuring the lifetime of the 8P3/2 state in Fr to be 83(3) ns, in agreement with literature.",

author = "{ISOLDE Collaboration} and M Athanasakis-Kaklamanakis and S. G. Wilkins and P. Lass{\`e}gues and L Lalanne and Jordan Reilly and O. Ahmad and M Au and Bai, {S W} and J Berbalk and C Bernerd and A Borschevsky and Breier, {A A} and S Franchoo and {Garcia Ruiz}, {R F} and D. Hanstorp and R Heinke and P Imgram and A Koszor{\'u}s and Kyuberis, {A. A.} and J Lim and Liu, {Y. C.} and Kara Lynch and Abigail Mcglone and Mei, {W. C.} and G Neyens and L. Nies and A.V. Oleynichenko and A Raggio and S Rothe and Skripnikov, {L. V.} and E. Smets and {van den Borne}, B and J Warbinek and Julius Wessolek and X. F. Yang",

year = "2024",

month = jun,

day = "6",

language = "English",

journal = "Physical Review A: Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics",

issn = "1050-2947",

publisher = "American Physical Society",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Radiative lifetime of the A 2Π1/2 state in RaF with relevance to laser cooling

AU - ISOLDE Collaboration

AU - Athanasakis-Kaklamanakis, M

AU - Wilkins, S. G.

AU - Lassègues, P.

AU - Lalanne, L

AU - Reilly, Jordan

AU - Ahmad, O.

AU - Au, M

AU - Bai, S W

AU - Berbalk, J

AU - Bernerd, C

AU - Borschevsky, A

AU - Breier, A A

AU - Franchoo, S

AU - Garcia Ruiz, R F

AU - Hanstorp, D.

AU - Heinke, R

AU - Imgram, P

AU - Koszorús, A

AU - Kyuberis, A. A.

AU - Lim, J

AU - Liu, Y. C.

AU - Lynch, Kara

AU - Mcglone, Abigail

AU - Mei, W. C.

AU - Neyens, G

AU - Nies, L.

AU - Oleynichenko, A.V.

AU - Raggio, A

AU - Rothe, S

AU - Skripnikov, L. V.

AU - Smets, E.

AU - van den Borne, B

AU - Warbinek, J

AU - Wessolek, Julius

AU - Yang, X. F.

PY - 2024/6/6

Y1 - 2024/6/6

N2 - The radiative lifetime of the A 2Π1/2 (v = 0) state in radium monofluoride (RaF) is measured to be 35(1) ns. The lifetime of this state and the related decay rate Γ = 2.86(8) × 107 s−1 are of relevance to the laser cooling of RaF via the optically closed A 2Π1/2 ← X 2Σ1/2 transition, which makes the molecule a promising probe to search for new physics. RaF is found to have acomparable photon-scattering rate to homoelectronic laser-coolable molecules. Thanks to its highly diagonal Franck-Condon matrix, it is expected to scatter an order of magnitude more photons than other molecules when using just 3 cooling lasers, before it decays to a dark state. The lifetime measurement in RaF is benchmarked by measuring the lifetime of the 8P3/2 state in Fr to be 83(3) ns, in agreement with literature.

AB - The radiative lifetime of the A 2Π1/2 (v = 0) state in radium monofluoride (RaF) is measured to be 35(1) ns. The lifetime of this state and the related decay rate Γ = 2.86(8) × 107 s−1 are of relevance to the laser cooling of RaF via the optically closed A 2Π1/2 ← X 2Σ1/2 transition, which makes the molecule a promising probe to search for new physics. RaF is found to have acomparable photon-scattering rate to homoelectronic laser-coolable molecules. Thanks to its highly diagonal Franck-Condon matrix, it is expected to scatter an order of magnitude more photons than other molecules when using just 3 cooling lasers, before it decays to a dark state. The lifetime measurement in RaF is benchmarked by measuring the lifetime of the 8P3/2 state in Fr to be 83(3) ns, in agreement with literature.

M3 - Article

SN - 1050-2947

JO - Physical Review A: Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics

JF - Physical Review A: Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics

ER -

Radiative lifetime of the A 2Π1/2 state in RaF with relevance to laser cooling

Abstract

Embargoed Document

Fingerprint

Cite this

Radiative lifetime of the A ²Π_1/2 state in RaF with relevance to laser cooling