  Alkaline-earth-like transition-metal atoms such as Zn and Cd are promising
candidates for precision measurements and quantum many-body physics
experiments. Here, we theoretically investigate the properties of diatomic
molecules containing these closed-shell atoms. We calculate potential energy
curves, permanent electric dipole moments, and spectroscopic constants for
molecules consisting of either a Zn or Cd atom interacting with an alkali-metal
(Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr) or alkaline-earth-metal (Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra) atom.
We use the ab initio electronic structure coupled cluster method with single,
double, and triple excitations combined with large Gaussian basis sets and
small-core relativistic energy-consistent pseudopotentials for heavier atoms.
We predict that the studied molecules in the ground electronic state are
chemically reactive weakly bound van der Waals complexes with small permanent
electric dipole moments. The present results may be useful for spectroscopy and
application of the studied molecules in modern ultracold physics and chemistry
experiments.
