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

• The radiative lifetime of the A (2)Pi(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 Gamma = 2.86(8) . 86(8) x 107 7 s-1 - 1 are of relevance to the laser cooling of RaF via the optically closed A (2)Pi(1/2) <- X (2)Sigma(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. Owing to its highly diagonal Franck-Condon matrix, it is expected to scatter an order of magnitude more photons than other molecules when using just three cooling lasers, before it decays to a dark state. The lifetime measurement in RaF is benchmarked by measuring the lifetime of the 8P3/2 P 3 / 2 state in Fr to be 83(3) ns, in agreement with literature.

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NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

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