Spectroscopic characterization of aluminum monofluoride with relevance to laser cooling and trapping
Abstract
Here we report on spectroscopic measurements of the aluminum monofluoride molecule (AlF) that are relevant to laser cooling and trapping experiments. We measure the detailed energy level structure of AlF in the X1+ electronic ground state, in the A1 state, and in the metastable a3 state. We determine the rotational, vibrational and electronic branching ratios from the A1 state. We also study how the rotational levels split and shift in external electric and magnetic fields. We find that AlF is an excellent candidate for laser cooling on any Q-line of the A1 - X1+ transition and for trapping at high densities.
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