T. Madhu Trivikram, M.L. Niu, P. Wcisło, W. Ubachs, E.J. Salumbides
Accurate EF1Σg+-X1Σg+ transition energies in molecular hydrogen were determined for transitions originating from levels with highly excited vibrational quantum number, v = 11, in the ground electronic state. Doppler-free two-photon spectroscopy was applied on vibrationally excited H2∗, produced via the photodissociation of H2S, yielding transition frequencies with accuracies of 45 MHz or 0.0015 cm−1. An important improvement is the enhanced detection efficiency by resonant excitation to autoionizing 7 pπ electronic Rydberg states, resulting in narrow transitions due to reduced ac-Stark effects. Using known EF level energies, the level energies of X(v = 11, J = 1, 3–5) states are derived with accuracies of typically 0.002 cm−1. These experimental values are in excellent agreement with and are more accurate than the results obtained from the most advanced ab initio molecular theory calculations including relativistic and QED contributions. © 2016, The Author(s).
Department of Physics and Astronomy, LaserLaB, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, Netherlands; Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Grudziądzka 5, Toruń, 87-100, Poland; Department of Physics, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, 6000, Philippines
