Observation of the 2S1/2 metastable state in Pt−

Journal article, 2009

We have experimentally investigated the structure of the Pt− ion using laser photodetachment threshold spectroscopy. The experiment was conducted using a collinear laser-ion beam apparatus, in which the residual atoms created in the photodetachment process were detected. A p-wave threshold was observed in the photo- detachment spectrum at an energy of 6851͑13͒ cm−1. We conclude that this onset originates from a photode- tachment transition in which the initial state of Pt− is the previously unobserved 5d106s 2S1/2 state and the final state of Pt is the 5d96s 3D3 ground state. The excitation energy of the 2S1/2 state is determined to be 10 289͑13͒ cm−1. This value can be compared with a multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock calculation performed by Thøgersen et al. ͓Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 2870 ͑1996͔͒, which yielded an excitation energy of 11 301 cm−1. Our data show no indication of the presence of any other state of Pt−. We conclude that the structure of the Pt− ion is now fully known.