The molecular frame electric dipole moment and hyperfine interactions in hafnium fluoride, HfF

Abstract

The (1,0) 17.92.5-X2Δ32 band of hafnium monofluoride (HfF) has been recorded using high-resolution laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy both field-free and in the presence of a static electric field. The field-free spectra of 177HfF, 179HfF, and 180HfF were modeled to generate a set of fine and hyperfine parameter for the X2Δ32(v = 0) and 17.92.5 (v = 1) states. The observed optical Stark shifts for the 180HfF isotopologue were analyzed to produce the molecular frame electric dipole moments of 1.66(1) D and 0.419(7) D for the X2Δ32 and 17.925 state, respectively. Both the generalized effective core potential and all-electron four component approaches were used in ab initio calculations to predict the properties of ground state HfF including equilibrium distance, dipole moments, quadrupole coupling, and magnetic hyperfine constants. © 2013 American Institute of Physics.