Observation of a molecular bond between ions and Rydberg atoms

Area of Science:

• Atomic and Molecular Physics
• Quantum Chemistry
• Chemical Physics

Background:

• Rydberg atoms, with highly excited electrons, exhibit unique bonding properties.
• Existing molecular bonds include ionic and covalent types, differing in mechanisms and lengths.
• Rydberg atoms can form unusual molecular bonds with bond lengths extending to micrometres.

Purpose of the Study:

• To observe and characterize a novel type of molecular ion involving Rydberg atoms.
• To investigate the interaction between ionic charge and a flipping-induced dipole in Rydberg molecules.
• To measure the vibrational spectrum, bond length, and angular alignment of these unique molecules.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a high-resolution ion microscope for spatial resolution.
• Measuring the vibrational spectrum of the molecular ion.
• Analyzing the bond length and angular alignment of the molecule.

Main Results:

• Observation of a new molecular ion formed by Rydberg atom interactions.
• Characterization of bonds with lengths up to several micrometres.
• Measurement of slow molecular dynamics due to large bond lengths.

Conclusions:

• The study reveals a new class of molecular ions with unprecedented bond lengths.
• The findings demonstrate the potential for studying slow spatio-temporal effects in molecular dynamics.
• This research opens possibilities for exploring physics beyond the Born-Oppenheimer approximation.