%0 Journal Article
%T REMPI Spectroscopy of HfF
%A Huanqian Loh
%A Russell P. Stutz
%A Tyler S. Yahn
%A Herbert Looser
%A Robert W. Field
%A Eric A. Cornell
%J Physics
%D 2012
%I arXiv
%R 10.1016/j.jms.2012.06.014
%X The spectrum of electronic states at 30000--33000 cm$^{-1}$ in hafnium fluoride has been studied using (1+1) resonance-enhanced multi-photon ionization (REMPI) and (1+1$'$) REMPI. Six $\Omega' = 3/2$ and ten $\Pi_{1/2}$ vibronic bands have been characterized. We report the molecular constants for these bands and estimate the electronic energies of the excited states using a correction derived from the observed isotope shifts. When either of two closely spaced $\Pi_{1/2}$ electronic states is used as an intermediate state to access autoionizing Rydberg levels, qualitatively distinct autoionization spectra are observed. The intermediate state-specificity of the autoionization spectra bodes well for the possibility of using a selected $\Pi_{1/2}$ state as an intermediate state to create ionic HfF$^+$ in various selected quantum states, an important requirement for our electron electric dipole moment (eEDM) search in HfF$^+$.
%U http://arxiv.org/abs/1206.4808v1