IR absorption of highly vibrationally excited SF6

In a double-resonance experiment, the absorption of various CO₂ laser lines by sulfur hexafluoride was measured, before and after the SF₆ was pumped by a fixed frequency CO₂ laser to a level of 5 quanta/molecule. The absorption is substantially shifted to longer wavelengths. But the short wavelength wing of the absorption band is not completely bleached. Instead a shoulder of several cm⁻¹ width is left. This shoulder is probably important for the explanation of the infrared laser induced dissociation of SF₆.