Ion-core switching in Rydberg series of XeKr

Abstract

We investigate XeKr in high Rydberg states by mass-resolved optical-optical double resonance excitation spectroscopy. We excite XeKr via two-photon absorption to the v* = 0 and v* = 2 vibrational levels of an intermediate electronically excited state of Xe*Kr correlated to Xe*6p[5/2]₂ and excite Xe*Kr further via one-photon absorption to the high Rydberg states of Xe**Kr in the energy range of 93200–97400 cm⁻¹. The potential energy curves and the quantum defects of the d-Rydberg and s-Rydberg series of Xe**Kr, converging the A ²Π_3/2 state of XeKr⁺ are determined. From the kinetic energy release in the predissociation process, we conclude that the ion-core switching occurs by the interaction between the bound electronic states of Xe**Kr converging to the A ²Π_3/2 state of XeKr⁺ and the repulsive electronic states of low-lying electronic states of XeKr**. Based on numerical simulations, we interpret the dependence of the yield of the ion-core switching on the excitation energy in terms of the population transfer from the bound electronic states of the high Rydberg states Xe**Kr, converging to the A ²Π_3/2 state of XeKr⁺, to those converging to the electronic ground X²${\mathrm{\Sigma }}_{1/2}^{+}$ state of XeKr ⁺.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Rare gas dimer
• XeKr
• molecular Rydberg states
• optical-optical double resonance spectroscopy
• ion-core switching

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The present work was supported partly by the Research Fund for Selected Area from the College of Arts and Sciences, the University of Tokyo and by the CREST (Core Research for Evolutionary Science and Technology) project of Japan Science and Technology Corporation on ‘Control of Photochemical Reactions in a Femto-second Time Scale’ in Research Area of ‘Single Molecules.' T. Sz. is grateful to NKFIH for their support (grant number FK134291).