Zeeman effect in CaF(2Pi(3/2))

• Published in: The Journal of chemical physics Vol. 121; no. 23; p. 11639
• Main Authors: Krems, R V, Egorov, D, Helton, J S, Maussang, K, Nguyen, S V, Doyle, J M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 15.12.2004
• DOI: 10.1063/1.1814097
• ISSN: 0021-9606

The Zeeman effect in the excited A 2Pi(3/2) state of CaF is measured and analyzed over a wide range of magnetic fields. It is found that the splitting of the Zeeman levels is largely determined by the coupling between different rotational states and there are no low-field seeking states in the J=3/2 manifold of Zeeman levels at high magnetic fields. A model of the Zeeman spectrum based on the ligand-field theory of CaF is shown to be accurate in the interval of magnetic fields 0-5 Tesla. This demonstrates that the magnetic moment of the CaF(A 2Pi(3/2)) molecule is effectively determined by the spin angular momentum of a single electron and the orbital motion of the valence electron around the Ca2+ core. An analysis of the Zeeman spectrum as a function of the molecular rotational constant indicates that 2Pi(3/2) molecules should have significant rotational constants (at least as large as twice the rotational constant of CaF) to be amenable to magnetic trapping in high fields.