Abstract

Using a high resolution, selectively detected cw eye laser excitation technique, we have successfully investigated twenty prominent electronic transitions of samarium monoxide. Ten lower lying electronic states [X0⁻ υ = 0, 1, (1)1, (2)0⁺, (1)2, (2)1, (1)3, (3)0⁻, (2)2, (3)2, (1)4] have been rotationally excited to six upper electronic states. The samarium monoxide was formed using a Broida-type oven or sputtering source.¹ The excitation spectra were taken by carefully setting the monochromator to detect the transitions while scanning a Coherent Autoscan ring dye laser. By using the parity selective properties of Ω = 1—0 transitions,² we were able to separate the e and f parity components in the [16.9]1—(1)1 and (1)2 transitions. Most of the lower lying energy levels have been related by more than two transitions. The assignment of the rotational lines was mostly made by first lines from the band origin. The combination difference was used to confirm the assignment and helps to proceed with the assignment. The same perturbations observed in two different transitions also help to assign the spectra. For most of the transitions, the two most abundant samarium isotopes (154 and 152) have been assigned and fitted by a least-squares fitting program. The other four more abundant isotopes (150, 149, 148, 147) have also been analyzed for a few transitions and the isotope effect for the rotational B values have been compared.

© 1989 Optical Society of America