Ab initio relativistic calculation of the RbCs molecule -: art. no. 174304

We apply the relativistic configuration-interaction valence-bond method to calculate various characteristics of the alkali-metal RbCs dimer. These include the electronic potentials and transition dipole moments between the ground and first excited states and permanent dipole moments of the X (1)Sigma(+) and a (3)Sigma(+) states of the ground configuration. In addition, we estimate the lifetime of the rovibrational levels of the X state due to blackbody radiation. These data can help experimentalists to optimize photoassociative formation of ultracold RbCs molecules and their longevity in a trap or in an optical lattice. Extended basis sets, constructed from Dirac-Fock and Sturm's orbitals, have been used to ensure convergence of our calculations. We compare our data with other theoretical and experimental results when they were available. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.