Progress toward spectroscopic accuracy: Relativistic and QED corrections for
Phys. Rev. A 113, 032803 – Published 2 March, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/k4qf-thhm
Abstract
The helium hydride ion () represents the simplest molecular system composed of nuclei with unequal charges and serves as a model system of unique importance to molecular structure theory. We present high-precision calculations of the leading relativistic () and QED () corrections for the ground electronic state of , performed within the Born-Oppenheimer approximation and using effective operators in the nonrecoil limit. The use of explicitly correlated Gaussian (ECG) and cusp-enforced basis functions, combined with regularization techniques for singular operators, yields a substantial reduction in numerical uncertainty compared to previous calculations. The resulting potentials reproduce rovibrational transition energies with few-megahertz uncertainties () and pure rotational transitions with submegahertz accuracy (), enabling comparison with the most precise spectroscopic data for isotopologues. These results provide a solid foundation for including higher-order effects and establish as a primary molecular system alongside for high-resolution spectroscopy, astrophysical modeling, and precision tests of fundamental physics.