Alkali metal dimers
Our main goal is to investigate excited electronic states of homo- and heteronuclear alkali metal dimers using modern laser spectroscopy techniques. We find molecular constants and shapes of potential energy curves of chosen electronic states with high accuracy. Results of our work allow for improvement of theoretical models. Precise knowledge of molecular energy levels is also important for understanding of possible optical excitation schemes. This knowledge is crucial in experiments from the field of „ultracold physics”, during planning and analysing of experimental data.
During past years excited electronic states of several different homo- and heteronuclear diatomic molecules were investigated: K2, Na2, Li2, Rb2, Cs2, NaK, KLi, NaLi, LiCs, NaCs, KCs, NaRb.
Alkali-metal–alkaline-earth molecules
Diatomic molecules composed of one alkali and one alkaline-earth atom have a non-zero electronic spin angular momentum and a strong permanent electric dipole moment in their rovibrational ground state, what makes them promising quantum simulators of magnetic excitons. They may be also used as sensitive magnetic field probes, quantum computing platforms and test beds to study parity-violating effects. If one can produce a quantum degenerate gas of such molecules, one could also study chemical reactions on a quantum level, with full control over the reactants and a clear signal from the reaction products. But in order to generate such molecules at ultracold temperatures one needs to have accurate potential energy curves of chosen molecular electronic states, particularly including the potential of the ground state. Our main goal is to generate potential energy curves of the ground and lowest excited electronic states for molecules like KSr, RbSr, LiSr basing on simply spectroscopic techniques and ab-initio theoretical calculations.
