State-specific detection of trapped HfF by photodissociation

We use (1 + 10) resonance-enhanced multiphoton photodissociation (REMPD) to detect the population in individual rovibronic states of trapped HfF with a single-shot absolute efficiency of 18%, which is over 200 times better than that obtained with fluorescence detection. The first photon excites a specific rotational level to an intermediate vibronic band at 35000–36500 cm , and the second photon, at 37594 cm 1 (266 nm), dissociates HfF into Hf and F. Mass-resolved time-of-flight ion detection then yields the number of state-selectively dissociated ions. Using this method, we observe rotational-state heating of trapped HfF ions from collisions with neutral Ar atoms. Furthermore, we measure the lifetime of the D1 v 1⁄4 0; J 1⁄4 1 state to be 2.1(2) s. This state will be used for a search for a permanent electric dipole moment of the electron. 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.