Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol.118, No.17, 7837-7845, 2003
Photoassociation of ultracold K atoms: Observation of high lying levels of the 1(g)similar to 1(1)Pi(g) molecular state of K-2
Very high-lying vibrational levels of the 1(g)similar to1 (1)Pi(g) electronic state of K-2 have been observed in a photoassociation experiment using an ion detection scheme. The photoassociation measurements have been treated together with laser induced fluorescence data recorded by Fourier transform spectrometry to construct a pointwise potential curve for this electronic state. Several vibrational levels were observed by both techniques, so the dissocation energy can be deduced without extrapolation, from the sum of binding energies measured in photoassociation and vibrational energies established with respect to the potential minimum (defined by the fluorescence data), giving D-e=1290.292+/-0.002 cm(-1) (1 standard deviation). The potential curve reproduces over 2000 term values (up to v=138) with a root mean square error of 0.0025 cm-1. Nevertheless, small differences are found between the rotational constants generated from the potential curve and the effective rotational constants deduced from binding energy measurements at very high v. The smoothness of the outermost part of the pointwise potential energy curve has been investigated through fits to a Hund's case (c) asymptotic model. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.