The microwave spectrum of CuO, X 2Π, measured with optical detection

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Abstract
The microwave pure rotational transitions J=3/2←1/2 and 5/2←3/2 have been measured for gas phase CuO in its X 2Π state, using microwave‐optical double resonance. The copper hyperfine structure was observed, and has been analyzed for the first time for the ground state of an orbitally degenerate transition metal‐containing molecule in the gas phase. Rotational, lambda‐doubling, and magnetic and electric hyperfine parameters have been evaluated; the Fermi contact parameter bF has been found to be very large and negative. The problem of determining the signs of the ‘‘off‐diagonal’’ hyperfine parameters in 2Π electronic states is discussed.