Optical Stark effects in the stimulated Raman spectrum of molecular oxygen

High-resolution stimulated Raman spectroscopy has been used to observe optical Stark effects in pure-spin, rotational, and rotational-vibrational transitions in molecular oxygen ( X³Σ _g^-). Recorded spectra in both polarized and depolarized configurations demonstrate some striking differences in the Stark splitting of ³Σ ground state molecules from that reported previously for ¹Σ molecules. An analysis of the position of a number of normal and satellite rotational-vibrational lines in both the polarized and depolarized spectra has led to a measurement of a value for the v = 1 excited state polarizability anisotropy and to a more accurate value for the band origin of the v = 1 ← 0 transition: γ₁ = ( α_| - α_|) ₁ = (1.36 ± 0.17) × 10 ^-24 cm ³, and ν₀ = 1556.385 ± 0.001 cm ^-1.