Relativistic and QED Effects in the Fundamental Vibration of $T_2$

T. Madhu Trivikram, M. Schlösser, W. Ubachs, and E. J. Salumbides

Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 163002 – Published 16 April 2018

The hydrogen molecule has become a test ground for quantum electrodynamical calculations in molecules. Expanding beyond studies on stable hydrogenic species to the heavier radioactive tritium-bearing molecules, we report on a measurement of the fundamental $T_2$ vibrational splitting $(v=0\to 1)$ for $J=0–5$ rotational levels. Precision frequency metrology is performed with high-resolution coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy at an experimental uncertainty of 10–12 MHz, where sub-Doppler saturation features are exploited for the strongest transition. The achieved accuracy corresponds to a 50-fold improvement over a previous measurement, and it allows for the extraction of relativistic and QED contributions to $T_2$ transition energies.