Quadrupole moments of Cd and Zn nuclei: When solid-state, molecular, atomic, and nuclear theory meet

The nuclear quadrupole moment $(Q)$ of the $5/2^+$ isomeric state of $^{111}$Cd, of particular importance to the interpretation of Perturbed Angular Correlation experiments in condensed matter, was determined by combining existing PAC data with high-level ab initio (CCSD(T)) calculations for Cd-dimethyl and hybrid density functional theory for metallic Cd. A revised value of $Q =.641(25)\text{ b}$ is found, much reduced from earlier estimates. Using the new result together with the values for other Cd isotopes from atomic data, also recently revised, the trend of $Q$ for the $11/2^−$ states in Cd is in perfect agreement with new nuclear covariant density functional theory calculations. Similar theoretical work for metallic Zn and the ZnS molecule, combined with atomic calculations, also results in an equivalent reduction for the reference value of the $^{67} \text{Zn} 5/2^−$ ground-state quadrupole moment to $Q=.125(5)\text{ b}$ .