INFRARED DIODE-LASER SPECTROSCOPY OF THE GEF+ ION

The first high-resolution spectroscopic observation of the GeF+ ion is reported. The ion was generated in a hollow cathode discharge of GeF4 mixed with He. The spectrum was measured using an infrared diode laser combined with the discharge modulation technique. Absorption lines belonging to the fundamental band were identified for five Ge isotopes. A sharp decrease of signal caused by a magnetic field confirmed that the spectrum was due to a charged species. The spectroscopic constants derived for the 74GeF+ species are ωe=815.60(12), ωexe=3.223(62), Be=0.40212(14), and αe=0.0025060(53) cm-1. The equilibrium bond length is re=1.66549(29) Å. The figures in the parentheses are 3σ uncertainties in the last digit. © 1990.