Rotationally inelastic collisions of excited NaK and NaCs molecules with noble gas and alkali atom perturbers

We report measurements of rate coefficients at T ≈ 600 K for rotationally inelastic collisions of NaK molecules in the 2(A)1Σ+ electronic state with helium, argon, and potassium atom perturbers. Several initial rotational levels J between 14 and 44 were investigated. Collisions involving molecules in low-lying vibrational levels (v = 0, 1, and 2) of the 2(A)1Σ+ state were studied using Fourier-transform spectroscopy. Collisions involving molecules in a higher vibrational level, v = 16, were studied using pump/probe, optical-optical double resonance spectroscopy. In addition, polarization spectroscopy measurements were carried out to study the transfer of orientation in these collisions. Many, but not all, of the measurements were carried out in the “single-collision regime” where more than one collision is unlikely to occur within the lifetime of the excited molecule. The analysis of the experimental data, which is described in detail, includes an estimate of effects of multiple collisions on the reported...