Optical Spectroscopy of Diatomic Species: Copper with Group 14 Elements (Si, Ge, Sn, Pb)

Electronic band systems of the gaseous diatomic compounds of copper and various X elements of the 14th column (Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) have been observed by thermal excitation in the red part of the visible spectrum. Vibrational analysis of the two subsystems observed for each of these molecules (except for CuPb with only one system) are reported and assigned as (2)Sigma(+)-(2)Pi(3/2) and (2)Sigma(+)-(2)Pi(1/2) transitions. The variation of the spin-orbit splitting of the (2)Pi lower states from CuSi to CuSn follows closely that of the np shell spin-orbit parameters in the group 14 atoms. This fully corroborates previous ab initio calculations that predict a (2)Pi(r) ground state with the ionic Cu(+) (3d(10))X(-)(pvarsigma(2)ppi) configuration for these molecules. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.