Decay rate measurement of the first vibrationally excited state of MgH+ in a cryogenic Paul trap
Abstract
We present a method to measure the decay rate of the first excited vibrational state of simple polar molecular ions being part of a Coulomb crystal in a cryogenic linear Paul trap. Specifically, we have monitored the decay of the |=1,J=1 X towards the |=0,J=0 X level in MgH+ by saturated laser excitation of the |=0,J=2 X-|=1,J=1 X transition followed by state selective resonance enhanced two-photon dissociation out of the |=0,J=2 X level. The technique enables the determination of decay rates, and thus absorption strengths, with an accuracy at the few percent level.
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