Lifetimes of ultra-long-range strontium Rydberg molecules

Abstract

The lifetime of ultra-long-range strontium Rydberg molecules is measured in the low-lying vibrational states, where its resemblance to the lifetime of the parent Rydberg atoms demonstrates that a $p$-wave resonance, which is absent in the present case but prevalent in Rydberg molecules comprised of alkali-metal atoms, plays an important role in determining the lifetime of such molecules.