Energy levels of Th<mml:mrow/>+between 7.3 and 8.3 eV

2013/05/03 by O. A. Herrera-Sancho, Nils Nemitz, N. Nemitz +2 · 3 citations
Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · #Atomic and Molecular Physics #Atomic physics #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Energy (signal processing) #Excitation #Ion #Ionization #Laser #Mass Spectrometry Techniques and Applications #Materials science #Optics #Photon #Photon energy #Physics #Range (aeronautics) #physics.atom-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreva.88.012512

published as Phys. Rev. A 88, 012512 (2013) · 7 pages, 6 figures

arxiv created 2013/05/03 · openalex publication_date 2013/07/16 · arxiv updated 2013/08/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

Using resonant two-step laser excitation of trapped ²³²Th⁺ ions, we observe 43 previously unknown energy levels within the energy range from 7.3 to 8.3 eV. The high density of states promises a strongly enhanced electronic bridge excitation of the ^229mTh nuclear state that is expected in this energy range. From the observation of resonantly enhanced three-photon ionization of Th⁺, the second ionization potential of thorium can be inferred to lie within the range between 11.9 and 12.3 eV. Pulsed laser radiation in a wide wavelength range from 237 to 289 nm is found to provide efficient photodissociation of molecular ions that are formed in reactions of Th⁺ with impurities in the buffer gas, leading to a significantly increased storage time for Th⁺ in the ion trap.

Citations

• Laser ablation loading of a radiofrequency ion trap
• Exponential Increase of Energy Level Density in Atoms: Th and Th II
• Energy Splitting of the Ground-State Doublet in the NucleusTh<mml:mprescripts/><mml:none/>229
• Nuclear laser spectroscopy of the 3.5 eV transition in Th-229
• Random-matrix physics: spectrum and strength fluctuations
• "Repulsion of Energy Levels" in Complex Atomic Spectra
• Processes of the nuclear isomer 229mTh(3/2+, 3.5 ± 1.0 eV) resonant excitation by optical photons

Cited by

• The ²²⁹Th isomer: prospects for a nuclear optical clock
• Attempt to optically excite the nuclear isomer in Th<mml:mprescripts/><mml:none/>229
• Radiative lifetime and energy of the low-energy isomeric level inTh<mml:mprescripts/><mml:none/>229