High-resolution mid-infrared spectroscopy of buffer-gas-cooled methyltrioxorhenium molecules
File(s)Tokunaga_2017_New_J._Phys._19_053006.pdf (683.65 KB)
Published version
Author(s)
Tokunaga, SK
Hendricks, RJ
Tarbutt, MR
Darquie, B
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We demonstrate cryogenic buffer-gas cooling of gas-phase methyltrioxorhenium (MTO). This molecule is closely related to chiral organometallic molecules where the parity-violating energy differences between enantiomers is measurable. The molecules are produced with a rotational temperature of approximately 6 K by laser ablation of an MTO pellet inside a cryogenic helium buffer gas cell. Facilitated by the low temperature, we demonstrate absorption spectroscopy of the 10.2 μm antisymmetric Re=O stretching mode of MTO with a resolution of 8 MHz and a frequency accuracy of 30 MHz. We partially resolve the hyperfine structure and measure the nuclear quadrupole coupling of the excited vibrational state. Our ability to produce dense samples of complex molecules of this type at low temperatures represents a key step towards a precision measurement of parity violation in a chiral species.
Date Issued
2017-05-16
Date Acceptance
2017-04-19
Citation
New Journal of Physics, 2017, 19
ISSN
1367-2630
Publisher
Institute of Physics (IoP) and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft
Journal / Book Title
New Journal of Physics
Volume
19
Copyright Statement
© 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. Original content from thiswork may be used underthe terms of theCreativeCommons Attribution 3.0licence.Any further distribution ofthis work must maintainattribution to theauthor(s)and the title ofthe work, journal citationand DOI. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)
Sponsor
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000401585800003&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
ST/N000242/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Physics
cold molecules
buffer-gas cooling
parity violation
quantum cascade laser
high-resolution rovibrational spectroscopy
organometallic species
hyperfine structure
PARITY VIOLATION
LASER SPECTROSCOPY
CHIRAL MOLECULES
FUNDAMENTAL CONSTANTS
CRYOGENIC BEAM
ATOMS
COLD
MICROWAVE
COMPLEX
SLOW
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 053006