Rotational hybridization, and control of alignment and orientation in triatomic ultralong-range Rydberg molecules

Abstract

We explore the electronic structure and rovibrational properties of an ultralong-range triatomic Rydberg molecule formed by a Rydberg atom and a ground state heteronuclear diatomic molecule. We focus here on the interaction of a Rb($n,l\geqslant 3$) Rydberg atom with a KRb(N = 0) diatomic polar molecule. There is significant electronic hybridization with the Rb(n = 24, $l\geqslant 3$) degenerate manifold. The polar diatomic molecule is allowed to rotate in the electric fields generated by the Rydberg electron and core as well as an external field. We investigate the metamorphosis of the Born–Oppenheimer potential curves, essential for the binding of the molecule, with varying electric field and analyze the resulting properties such as the vibrational structure and the alignment and orientation of the polar diatomic molecule.