High-Resolution Laser Spectroscopy of a Functionalized Aromatic Molecule

Benjamin L Augenbraun; Sean Burchesky; Andrew Winnicki; John M Doyle

doi:10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c03041

High-Resolution Laser Spectroscopy of a Functionalized Aromatic Molecule

J Phys Chem Lett. 2022 Nov 24;13(46):10771-10777. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c03041. Epub 2022 Nov 14.

Authors

Benjamin L Augenbraun^{1

2}, Sean Burchesky^{1

2}, Andrew Winnicki^{1

2}, John M Doyle^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts02138, United States.
² Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms, Cambridge, Massachusetts02138, United States.

PMID: 36374523
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c03041

Abstract

We present a high-resolution laser spectroscopic study of the Ã²B₂-X̃²A₁ and B̃²B₁-X̃²A₁ transitions of calcium(I) phenoxide, CaOPh (CaOC₆H₅). The rotationally resolved band systems are analyzed using an effective Hamiltonian model and are accurately modeled as independent perpendicular (b- or c-type) transitions. The structure of calcium monophenoxide is compared to previously observed Ca-containing radicals, and implications for direct laser cooling are discussed. This work demonstrates that functionalization of aromatic molecules with optical cycling centers can preserve many of the properties needed for laser-based control.