Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol.121, No.23, 11639-11644, 2004
Zeeman effect in CaF((2)Pi(3/2))
The Zeeman effect in the excited A (2)Pi(3/2) state of CaF is measured and analyzed over a wide range of magnetic fields. It is found that the splitting of the Zeeman levels is largely determined by the coupling between different rotational states and there are no low-field seeking states in the J=3/2 manifold of Zeeman levels at high magnetic fields. A model of the Zeeman spectrum based on the ligand-field theory of CaF is shown to be accurate in the interval of magnetic fields 0-5 Tesla. This demonstrates that the magnetic moment of the CaF(A (2)Pi(3/2)) molecule is effectively determined by the spin angular momentum of a single electron and the orbital motion of the valence electron around the Ca2+ core. An analysis of the Zeeman spectrum as a function of the molecular rotational constant indicates that (2)Pi(3/2) molecules should have significant rotational constants (at least as large as twice the rotational constant of CaF) to be amenable to magnetic trapping in high fields. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.