The extraction of 229Th3+ from a buffer-gas stopping cell

Abstract

In the whole landscape of atomic nuclei, ${}^{229}$Th is currently the only known nucleus which could allow for the development of a nuclear-based frequency standard, as it possesses an isomeric state of just 7.6 eV energy above the ground state. The 3+ charge state is of special importance in this context, as Th${}^{3+}$ allows for a simple laser-cooling scheme. Here we emphasize the direct extraction of triply-charged ${}^{229}$Th from a buffer-gas stopping cell. This finding will not only simplify any future approach of ${}^{229}$Th ion cooling, but is also used for thorium-beam purification and in this way provides a powerful tool for the direct identification of the ${}^{229}$Th isomer to ground state nuclear transition.

References in corpus (1)

• Determination of the extraction efficiency for ${}^{233}$U source $\alpha$-recoil ions from the MLL buffer-gas stopping cell

Cited by in corpus (4)

• The ${}^{229}$Th isomer: prospects for a nuclear optical clock
• Recent progress in laser spectroscopy of the actinides
• Laser Resonance Chromatography of Superheavy Elements
• Laser Resonance Chromatography of ${}^{229}$Th${}^{3+}$ in He: an ab initio investigation