Microwave spectroscopy of ultracold-sodium least-bound molecular states

Abstract

We have performed microwave spectroscopy of sodium least-bound molecular states, improving the precision of the knowledge of their energies at zero magnetic field by almost three orders of magnitude. Our experimental observations give us access also to states submitted to predissociation, a phenomenon where a bound molecular state can naturally decay into the continuum. Our findings are compared to numerical calculations based on the latest interpolation of sodium interaction potentials and show good agreement, with slight discrepancies in the zero-field energy of the molecular states, suggesting a need for small adjustment of the interaction potentials.