Work

Magnetic Deflection of High-Spin Sodium Dimers Formed on Helium Nanodroplets

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Spectroscopic data on alkali-atom dimers residing on the surface of liquid helium nanodroplets have revealed that they are detected primarily in the weakly bound, metastable, spin-triplet state. Here, by measuring the magnetic Stern-Gerlach deflection of a sodium-doped nanodroplet beam, we transparently demonstrate the abundance of high-magnetic-moment dimers. Their electron spins thermalize with the cryogenic superfluid droplets and become fully oriented by the external magnetic field.

Source: The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters

DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.5c00861

Authors: Thomas H. Villers, Benjamin S. Kamerin, Vitaly V. Kresin

Institution: University of Southern California

Language: English

Topic: Quantum, superfluid, helium dynamics

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Science Foundation

Award: Beam Deflection Studies of Cold Molecules and Complexes Entrapped in Helium Nanodroplets: Permanent, Metastable, and Laser-Induced Electric and Magnetic Dipole Moments