Spin Polarized Alkali Clusters: Observation of Quartet States of the Sodium Trimer

J. Higgins; W. E. Ernst; C. Callegari; J. Reho; K. K. Lehmann; G. Scoles; M. Gutowski

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.77.4532

Spin Polarized Alkali Clusters: Observation of Quartet States of the Sodium Trimer

J. Higgins, W. E. Ernst, C. Callegari, J. Reho, K. K. Lehmann, G. Scoles, and M. Gutowski

Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 4532 – Published 25 November 1996

Abstract

Using helium cluster-isolation spectroscopy we have prepared and characterized the lowest quartet state ( $1^{4} A_{2}^{'}$ ) of the sodium trimer. Upon excitation to the $2^{4} E^{'}$ electronic state, laser induced fluorescence excitation and emission spectra have been obtained. With the aid of ab initio calculations, the spectra have been vibronically assigned and new insights on the nonadditivity of van der Waals interactions have been obtained. It is found that approximately 80% of the interaction energy in the $1^{4} A_{2}^{'}$ state of ${Na}_{3}$ is due to nonadditive effects.

Received 31 May 1996

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.77.4532

Authors & Affiliations

J. Higgins, W. E. Ernst, C. Callegari, J. Reho, K. K. Lehmann, and G. Scoles

Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544

M. Gutowski

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352
and Department of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland