The potential energy curves (PECs) of the bound states of M-X (M=Cu, Ag, and Au and X=He, Ne, and Ar) complexes have been calculated using the coupled cluster singles and doubles method with perturbative treatment of triple excitations. Large basis sets and bond functions, as well as the basis set superposition errors, are employed to obtain accurate PECs. The analytical potential energy functions (APEFs) are fitted using the PECs. The vibrational energy levels and the spectroscopic parameters for the complexes are determined using our APEFs and compared to the theoretical works available at present. We also find that the PECs are bound with similar van der Waals interactions, which implies that He, Ne, and Ar may be used for buffer-gas cooling; and Cu, Ag, and Au may be trapped with a similar method because Cu and Ag have been experimentally trapped with He buffer-gas cooling.
Recent progress in studies of Rydberg double-well electronic energy states of MeNg (Me = 12-group atom, Ng = noble gas atom) van der Waals (vdW) molecules is presented and analysed. The presentation covers approaches in experimental studies as well as ab initio-calculations of potential energy curves (PECs). The analysis is shown in a broader context of Rydberg states of hetero- and homo-diatomic molecules with PECs possessing complex 'exotic' structure. Laser induced fluorescence (LIF) excitation spectra and dispersed emission spectra employed in the spectroscopical characterization of Rydberg states are presented on the background of the diverse spectroscopic methods for their investigations such as laser vaporization-optical resonance (LV-OR), pump-and-probe methods, and polarization labelling spectroscopy. Important and current state-of-the-art applications of Rydberg states with irregular potentials in photoassociation (PA), vibrational and rotational cooling, molecular clocks, frequency standards, and molecular wave-packet interferometry are highlighted.
Helium dimer in its metastable triplet electronic state, He
2(a 3Σu+), is a promising candidate for direct laser cooling and precision measurements. Interactions and collisions involving He
2(a 3Σu+) remain unexplored in ultracold and cold energy domains. Here, we present the first theoretical investigation of intermolecular interactions and collision dynamics of He
2(a 3Σu+)+Ne van der Waals complex. For the ground electronic state,
X 3A′, we employ a spin-restricted coupled cluster method with single, double, and noniterative triple excitations. The resulting interaction potential exhibits an extremely shallow well with a depth of 4.612 cm
−1. We construct a three-dimensional vibrationally averaged potential energy surface. Using this surface, we perform full close-coupling calculations including fine-structure levels of He
2(a 3Σu+) to investigate collisional excitation and quenching induced by Ne. We analyze the low-energy scattering dynamics and model resonant features associated with quasi-bound states supported by interaction potential. Propensity rule for fine-structure conserving transitions is established. We additionally consider He
2+Ar collisions and compare their energy dependence and resonance structure with those of He
2+Ne. The He
2+Ar system exhibits a richer resonance structure, highlighting the sensitivity of low-energy scattering to interaction potential and reduced mass. Calculated PES and scattering properties provide a reliable benchmark for description of He
2+Ne van der Waals complex and may be useful for interpretation of future experimental spectra and collision measurements.
We show that weakly bound He-containing van der Waals molecules can be produced and magnetically trapped in buffer-gas cooling experiments, and provide a general model for the formation and dynamics of these molecules. Our analysis shows that, at typical experimental parameters, thermodynamics favors the formation of van der Waals complexes composed of a helium atom bound to most open-shell atoms and molecules, and that complex formation occurs quickly enough to ensure chemical equilibrium. For molecular pairs composed of a He atom and an S-state atom, the molecular spin is stable during formation, dissociation, and collisions, and thus these molecules can be magnetically trapped. Collisional spin relaxation is too slow to affect trap lifetimes. However, (3)He-containing complexes can change spin due to adiabatic crossings between trapped and untrapped Zeeman states, mediated by the anisotropic hyperfine interaction, causing trap loss. We provide a detailed model for Ag(3)He molecules, using ab initio calculation of Ag-He interaction potentials and spin interactions, quantum scattering theory, and direct Monte Carlo simulations to describe formation and spin relaxation in this system. The calculated rate of spin-change agrees quantitatively with experimental observations, providing indirect evidence for molecular formation in buffer-gas-cooled magnetic traps. Finally, we discuss the possibilities for spectroscopic detection of these complexes, including a calculation of expected spectra for Ag(3)He, and report on our spectroscopic search for Ag(3)He, which produced a null result.
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide This study presents a theoretical investigation of the potential energy curves (PECs) and spectroscopic constants of the NaMg + molecular cation using the intermediate Hamiltonian Fock space coupled-cluster method with singles and doubles within the (2,0) sector [IH-FS-CCSD(2,0)]. The NaMg + cation has gained scientific interest due to its potential applications in ultracold chemistry, yet it remains experimentally unexplored. We computed 20 lowest-lying PECs and assigned them to 10 dissociation limits. Our results demonstrated high accuracy, and computed curves are smooth and continuous over the entire range of interatomic distances. The study validates the effectiveness of the IH-FS-CCSD(2,0) method in describing PECs of diatomic molecular cations composed of alkali and alkaline earth metals and provides a solid theoretical foundation for further studies of NaMg + and similar systems.
A detailed analysis of the He-NH((3)Sigma(-)) van der Waals complex is presented. We discuss ab initio calculations of the potential energy surface and fitting procedures with relevance to cold collisions, and we present accurate calculations of bound energy levels of the triatomic complex as well as collisional properties of NH molecules in a buffer gas of (3)He. The influence of the external magnetic field used to trap the NH molecules and the effect of the atom-molecule interaction potential on the collisionally induced Zeeman relaxation are explored. It is shown that minute variations of the interaction potential due to different fitting procedures may alter the Zeeman relaxation rate at ultralow temperatures by as much as 50%.
Using nozzle beams of He, Ne, and Ar, we have measured diffractive selective adsorption resonances from a Cu(110) surface kept at 20 K. Bound state energies of the atom-surface potentials have been determined from plots of the measured resonance energies versus incident angle and their fits to calculated kinematical dispersion relations. For 3He and 4He we have found a unique level assignment that is compatible with a single gas-surface potential curve with a well depth of 6.05 meV of the He-Cu(110) potential. This value is about 10% larger than the prediction of 5.55 meV from the current physisorption theory. The Ne and Ar data reveal a large number of closely spaced levels with level separations and estimated van der Waals coefficients that are compatible with available theoretical data.