Theoretical study of low‐lying electronic states of the LiRb+ molecular ion: Structure,spectroscopy and transition dipole moments

The electronic structure and the spectroscopic properties for low‐lying electronic states of the LiRb⁺ molecular ion, dissociating into Li (2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 3d, 4s, and 4p) + Rb⁺ and Li⁺ + Rb (5s, 5p, 4d, 6s, 6p, 5d, and 7s), have been investigated using an ab initio approach based on non‐empirical pseudo potentials for the Li and Rb cores and parametrized l‐dependent polarization potential. We have determined the adiabatic potential energy curves and their spectroscopic constants for many electronic states of ²Σ⁺, ²Π, and ²Δ symmetries. A satisfying agreement, for the spectroscopic constants, has been obtained for the ground and the first excited states with the available theoretical works. Potential energy curves were presented, for the first time, for the higher excited states. In addition, we have localised and analysed the avoided crossings between electronic states of ²Σ⁺ and ²Π symmetries. Their existences can be related to the interaction between the potential energy curves and to the charge transfer process between the two ionic systems Li⁺Rb and LiRb⁺. Moreover, we have determined the transition dipole moments from X²Σ⁺ and 2²Σ⁺ states to higher excited states of ²Σ⁺ and ²Π symmetries. For our best knowledge, no experimental data on the LiRb⁺ molecular ion is available. These theoretical data can help experimentalists to optimize photoassociative formation of ultracold LiRb⁺ molecular ion and their longevity in a trap or in an optical lattice. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2012