Absorption and emission spectra of Ca2 in solid krypton

The calcium van der Waals molecule, Ca₂, has been formed by codepositing calcium and krypton atoms on a substrate at 12 K. Absorption spectra revealed a structured band at 666 nm with 117 ± 2 cm^? spacings. Calcium-44 isotopic spectra confirmed the assignment and located the band origin at 14 432 ± 4 cm^?1. Emission spectra, pumping the 11 ← 0 absorption, exhibited a very strong 14 000 cm^?1 band with 78 ± 2 cm^?1 spacings to the band origin and unrelaxed emission with 78 ± 2 and 117 ± 2 cm^?1 spacings above the band origin from v′ levels up to 6. The transition ¹∑⁺_u(¹S + ¹P) ← ¹∑⁺_g (¹S + ¹S) and the bonding in ground and excited Ca₂ states fit a simple molecular orbital model.