Observation of pendular butterfly Rydberg molecules

Thomas Niederprüm, Oliver Thomas, Tanita Eichert, Carsten Lippe, Jesús Pérez-Ríos, Chris H. Greene and Herwig Ott ()
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Thomas Niederprüm: Research Center OPTIMAS, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern
Oliver Thomas: Research Center OPTIMAS, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern
Tanita Eichert: Research Center OPTIMAS, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern
Carsten Lippe: Research Center OPTIMAS, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern
Jesús Pérez-Ríos: Purdue University
Chris H. Greene: Purdue University
Herwig Ott: Research Center OPTIMAS, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Abstract Engineering molecules with a tunable bond length and defined quantum states lies at the heart of quantum chemistry. The unconventional binding mechanism of Rydberg molecules makes them a promising candidate to implement such tunable molecules. A very peculiar type of Rydberg molecules are the so-called butterfly molecules, which are bound by a shape resonance in the electron–perturber scattering. Here we report the observation of these exotic molecules and employ their exceptional properties to engineer their bond length, vibrational state, angular momentum and orientation in a small electric field. Combining the variable bond length with their giant dipole moment of several hundred Debye, we observe counter-intuitive molecules which locate the average electron position beyond the internuclear distance.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12820

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