Formation of cold bialkali dimers on helium nanodroplets

Cold alkali diatomic molecules (LiCs, NaCs) in the lowest vibrational state of the electronic triplet ground state are formed on superfluid helium nanodroplets. Using photoionization detection the excitation spectra of the 2(3)Pi <-- 1(3) Sigma(+) transitions are recorded. The splitting of the vibrational structure in the LiCs spectrum, not observed in the NaCs spectrum, is interpreted in terms of molecular fine structure. The spectra are well reproduced by a model based on quantum chemistry potential curves including spin-orbit coupling, in combination with an asymmetric line shape function to account for cluster-induced broadening. Our refined potential curves provide important input data for the photoassociation of ultracold dipolar alkali molecules from atomic quantum gases.