Properties of the ground ${}^3$F${}_2$ state and the excited ${}^3$P${}_0$ state of atomic thorium in cold collisions with ${}^3$He

Abstract

We measure inelastic collisional cross sections for the ground ${}^3$F${}_2$ state and the excited ${}^3$P${}_0$ state of atomic thorium in cold collisions with ${}^3$He. We determine for Th (${}^3$F${}_2$) at 800 mK the ratio $\gamma \approx 500$ of the momentum-transfer to Zeeman relaxation cross sections for collisions with ${}^3$He. For Th (${}^3$P${}_0$), we study electronic inelastic processes and find no quenching even after $10^6$ collisions. We also determine the radiative lifetime of Th (${}^3$P${}_0$) to be $\tau >130$ ms. This great stability of the metastable state opens up the possibility for further study, including trapping.

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• Bose-Einstein Condensation of Erbium
• Sr lattice clock at 1x10^{-16} fractional uncertainty by remote optical evaluation with a Ca clock
• Quantum degenerate dipolar Fermi gas
• Inelastic Collisions in Optically Trapped Ultracold Metastable Ytterbium

Cited by in corpus (1)

• Enhanced Yield from a Cryogenic Buffer Gas Beam Source via Excited State Chemistry