Ultralong-Range Rydberg Molecules in a Divalent-Atomic System

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We report the creation of ultralong-range Sr₂ molecules comprising one ground-state 5s² ¹S₀ atom and one atom in a 5sns ³S₁ Rydberg state for n ranging from 29 to 36. Molecules are created in a trapped ultracold atomic gas using two-photon excitation near resonant with the 5s5p ³P₁ intermediate state, and their formation is detected through ground-state atom loss from the trap. The observed molecular binding energies are fit with the aid of first-order perturbation theory that utilizes a Fermi pseudopotential with effective s-wave and p-wave scattering lengths to describe the interaction between an excited Rydberg electron and a ground-state Sr atom.