Electronic states and spin-orbit splitting of lanthanum dimer.

Lanthanum dimer (La(2)) was studied by mass-analyzed threshold ionization (MATI) spectroscopy and a series of multi-configuration ab initio calculations. The MATI spectrum exhibits three band systems originating from ionization of the neutral ground electronic state, and each system shows vibrational frequencies of the neutral molecule and singly charged cation. The three ionization processes are La(2)(+) (a(2)∑(g)(+)) ← La(2) (X(1)∑(g)(+)), La(2)(+) (b(2)Π(3/2, u)) ← La(2) (X(1)∑(g)(+)), and La(2)(+) (b(2)Π(1/2, u)) ← La(2) (X(1)∑(g)(+)), with the ionization energies of 39,046, 40,314, and 40,864 cm(-1), respectively. The vibrational frequency of the X(1)Σ(g)(+) state is 207 cm(-1), and those of the a(2)Σ(g)(+), b(2)Π(3/2, u) and b(2)Π(1/2, u) are 235.7, 242.2, and 240 cm(-1). While X(1)Σ(g)(+) is the ground state of the neutral molecule, a(2)Σ(g (+) and b(2)Π(u) are calculated to be the excited states of the cation. The spin-orbit splitting in the b(2)Π(u) ion is 550 cm(-1). An X(4)Σ(g)(-) state of La(2)(+) was predicted by theory, but not observed by the experiment. The determination of a singlet ground state of La(2) shows that lanthanum behaves differently from scandium and yttrium.