Abstract
We report photoassociative spectroscopy of in a magneto-optical trap operating on the intercombination line at 689 nm. Photoassociative transitions are driven with a laser red detuned by 600–2400 MHz from the atomic resonance at 461 nm. Photoassociation takes place at extremely large internuclear separation, and the photoassociative spectrum is strongly affected by relativistic retardation. A fit of the transition frequencies determines the atomic lifetime () and resolves a discrepancy between experiment and recent theoretical calculations.
- Received 5 October 2004
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.083004
©2005 American Physical Society