Rovibrational quantum state resolution of the C 60 fullerene
Abstract
It generally takes more energy for molecules to vibrate than to rotate. A vibrational absorption band thus encompasses many distinct concurrent rotational transitions, but these tend to blur together when the molecules have more than a few atoms. Changala et al. succeeded in cooling C 60 fullerenes sufficiently to obtain rotational resolution within a C–C stretching band. Success hinged on careful optimization of argon buffer gas flow. Such quantum state–resolved features could aid characterization of fullerene-type compounds in exotic environments such as interstellar space.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jan 04, 2019
- Source ID
- 10.1126/science.aav2616
Entities
People
- Bryan Changala
- Jun Ye
- Kevin F. Lee
- Marissa L Weichman
- Martin E. Fermann
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
- National Institute of Standards and Technology
- National Science Foundation
- University of Colorado