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Electronic spectroscopy of a cold SiO$^+$ sample: Implications for optical pumping

The dispersed fluorescence following pulsed dye laser excitation of the $\textrm{B}_2 Σ^+ - \textrm{X}^2 Σ^+(0,0)$ band of a cold sample of SiO$^+$ has been recorded and analyzed. The branching ratios for $\textrm{B}_2 Σ^+ (v=0) \rightarrow \textrm{X}^2 Σ^+(v)$ and $\textrm{B}_2 Σ^+ (v=0) \rightarrow \textrm{A}^2 Π_i(v)$ emission were determined and compared with values predicted based upon existing experimental and theoretical data. The experimentally determined branching ratios show that the $\textrm{B}_2 Σ^+ (v=0) \rightarrow \textrm{X}^2 Σ^+(v)$ transitions are somewhat less diagonal than predicted. The implications for laser cooling of a trapped sample of SiO$^+$ using broadband laser excitation are discussed.