Double Resonance Rotational Spectroscopy of Weakly Bound Ionic Complexes: The Case of Floppy CH_{3}^{+}-He

Phys Rev Lett. 2018 Oct 5;121(14):143001. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.143001.

Abstract

A novel rotational spectroscopy method applicable to ions stored in cold traps is presented. In a double resonance scheme, rotational excitation is followed by vibrational excitation into a dissociative resonance. Its general applicability is demonstrated for the CH_{3}^{+}-He complex, which undergoes predissociation through its C-H stretching modes ν_{1} and ν_{3}. High resolution rotational transitions are recorded for this symmetric top, and small unexpected splittings are resolved for K=1. Advantages and potential future applications of this new approach are discussed.