Precision Vibrotational Spectroscopy of a General Trapped Molecular Ion
POSTER
Abstract
Inelastic Recoil Spectroscopy (IRS) is a single-molecule action spectroscopy method that enables mid-infrared vibrational–rotational spectra of individual trapped molecular ions. By monitoring recoil events that occur when an excited molecule undergoes inelastic collisions with a cold buffer gas, IRS translates photon absorption into a measurable motional signature without destroying the ion. This approach overcomes the averaging intrinsic to ensemble spectroscopy, revealing vibrational and rotational structure one molecule at a time. We demonstrate a unique strength of single-molecule spectroscopy by measuring the distinct spectra of ortho and para nuclear spin isomers in the propargyl cation, C₄H₃⁺.
*This work has been supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF CHE-1912105, NSF NRT Award No. 2152201, and NSF Award No. PHY-2309080, NSF CHE-2506008) and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (MURI FA9550-20-1-0323). This material is based upon work supported in part by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and the U.S. Army Research Office under Grant No. W911NF2410067. We also thank the Moore Foundation for their patronage.
Publication: Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 153002 (2025)
Phys. Rev. A 108, 062819 (2023)
Nature 621, 295–299 (2023)
Presenters
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Samuel Kresch
- University of California, Santa Barbara