Magneto-optical trap and mass-separator system for the ultra-sensitive detection of <Superscript>135</Superscript>Cs and <Superscript>137</Superscript>Cs

We report the first magneto-optical trapping of radioactive ¹³⁵Cs and ¹³⁷Cs and a promising means for detecting these isotopes at ultra-sensitive levels by coupling a magneto-optical trap (MOT) to a mass separator. A sample containing both isotopes was placed in the source of a mass separator, ionized, mass-separated, and implanted in a Zr foil within the trapping cell. After implantation, atoms were released from the foil by inductive heating and then captured in a MOT that used large-diameter beams and a dry-film-coated cell to achieve high trapping efficiency. Trapped-atom numbers in the case of either isotope ranged from 10⁴ to 10⁷, as determined from the MOT fluorescence signal. Over this trapped-atom range, the MOT fluorescence signal was found to increase linearly with the number of atoms implanted in the foil and without isotopic bias to within 4%. In principle, this method can then provide a measurement of the ¹³⁷Cs/¹³⁵Cs ratio accurate to within 4% through the direct ratio of MOT fluorescence signals. The fluorescence signal from stable ¹³³Cs, when implanted and released from the foil, was suppressed relative to MOT signals by more than seven orders of magnitude when the system was tuned to trap ¹³⁵Cs or ¹³⁷Cs. When combined with the isotopic selectivity of ≥10⁵ for the mass separator, the overall suppression of ¹³³Cs is expected to exceed 10¹². At present our system delivers atoms from sample to MOT with an efficiency of 0.5%, has a trapped-atom detection limit of 4000 atoms, and achieves a sample-detection sensitivity of one million atoms. Received: 23 August 2002 / Published online: 8 January 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +1-505/667-0440, E-mail: mdd@lanl.gov     

An efficient pathway for Li<Superscript>6</Superscript> isotope enrichment

Separation of lithium isotopes has been achieved using two-step laser photoionization in conjunction with an atomic beam and in-house built time of flight (TOF) mass spectrometer. We present an efficient pathway for the enrichment of Li⁶ isotope by tuning the exciter laser to the 3p ² P _{1/2, 3/2} excited state of Li⁶. A concentration of up to 60% is demonstrated from a natural isotopic abundant lithium sample. In addition, the first measurement of the absolute photoionization cross-section of the 3p excited state of Li⁶ and Li⁷ are reported as 26.8±4 Mb and 25.5±3.8 Mb, respectively. PACS 32.10.Bi; 32.80.t; 32.80.Fb     

Kinetics of the sorption of <Superscript>3</Superscript>He by C<Subscript>60</Subscript> fullerite. The quantum diffusion of <Superscript>3</Superscript>He and <Superscript>4</Superscript>He in fullerite

The kinetics of the sorption and subsequent desorption of gaseous ³He in a C₆₀ fullerite powder has been studied in the temperature range of 2–292 K. The temperature dependences of the diffusion coefficients of ³He and ⁴He impurities in fullerite have been plotted using the measured characteristic times of filling of octahedral and tetrahedral interstices, as well as previous data. These temperature dependences of the diffusion coefficients of ³He and ⁴He impurities in fullerite are qualitatively similar. A decrease in the temperature from 292 to 79 K is accompanied by a decrease in the diffusion coefficients, which corresponds to the dominance of the thermally activated diffusion of helium isotopes in fullerite. A further decrease in the temperature to 8–10 K leads to an increase in the diffusion coefficients by more than an order of magnitude. The diffusion coefficients of ³He and ⁴He are independent of the temperature below 8 K, indicating the tunnel character of the diffusion of helium in C₆₀ fullerite. The isotope effect is manifested in the difference between the absolute values of the diffusion coefficients of ³He and ⁴He atoms at the same temperatures.     

Features of the Formation of the Spin Polarization of an Alkali Metal at the Resolution of Hyperfine Sublevels in the <Superscript>2</Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis><Subscript>1/2</Subscript> State

The optical orientation of the angular momenta of alkali atoms in the presence of a buffer gas (molecular nitrogen) has been studied experimentally. It has been shown that, even at a low concentration of molecular nitrogen in the cell, the excitation of ¹³³Cs atoms from the lower hyperfine level with F = 3, which belongs to the ground ²S_1/2 state, results in a larger amplitude of the magnetic resonance than the excitation from the hyperfine level with F = 4. This result has been theoretically explained under the assumption that the spin state of the alkali atomic nucleus does not change at collision with a nitrogen molecule, which is accompanied by a nonradiative transition of the alkali atom from the excited ²P_1/2 state to the ground ²S_1/2 state.     

On highly accurate calculations of the excited n<Superscript>1</Superscript>S(L = 0)-states in helium atoms

The total energies and various bound state properties of the excited 2¹S(L = 0)-states in two-electron helium atoms, including the ^￥He^{\infty}\rm He, ⁴He^4\rm He and ³He^3\rm He atoms, are determined to very high numerical accuracy. The convergence of the results obtained for some electron-nuclear and electron-electron expectation values and, in particular, for the electron-nuclear and electron-electron cusp values, is discussed. The field component of the isotope shift and lowest order QED correction are estimated for the 2¹S(L = 0)-states in the ⁴He and ³He atoms. We also apply our highly accurate methods to numerical computations of the excited n ¹S-states (for n = 3 and 4) in two-electron atomic systems.     

Coherence and recombination in two-dimensional atomic hydrogen on the surface of superfluid <Superscript>4</Superscript>He

Experimental results on the achievement of high degrees of quantum degeneration in two-dimensional atomic hydrogen (2D H↓) by the magnetic-compression method are analyzed by taking into account current data on the binding energy E _a = 1.14(1) K of hydrogen atoms with the ⁴He surface and the constant K _ab of the two-particle exchange recombination of adsorbed H atoms. The behavior of pair and three-particle correlation functions, as well as the transverse delocalization of the wavefunction of adsorbed atoms due to their interaction with each other, is taken into account self-consistently. A new mechanism of cooling of the compression region by means of the flow of H atoms on the helium surface with the subsequent evaporation and emission from a magnetic trap is proposed. This mechanism prevails at high densities, whereas the heat transfer at low densities occurs owing mainly to the interaction of ripplons with the phonons of the helium film. Existing data corroborate the achievement of the phase density σλ² ? 10, which is certainly higher than the density necessary for both the arrangement of local coherence in 2D H↓ and its transition to the superfluid state. The results agree with the representations on quasi-condensation; however, direct evidence of this phenomenon is not revealed. The probability of three-particle dipole recombination that is corrected for the quantum correlation and delocalization is equal to 7(2) × 10^?26 cm⁴ s^?1 (T = 0.15, …, 0.21 K, B = 6.6 T, and σλ² = 1, …, 9). The results are compared with other theoretical and experimental data.     

Biological effects of the <Superscript>25</Superscript>Mg magnetic isotope in <Emphasis Type="Italic">E. coli</Emphasis> cells

Reliable experimental data on the influence of the magnetic moment of the ²⁵Mg isotope nucleus on the vital functions of E. coli cells are reported. The presence of the ²⁵Mg magnetic isotope in the medium increases the growth rate and colony-forming ability of microorganisms as compared with the ²⁴Mg and ²⁶Mg nonmagnetic isotopes. An intracellular enrichment in ²⁵Mg improves the viability of the bacterial culture. The magnetic nature of the observed biological effects of the ²⁵Mg isotope is demonstrated.     

Modification of GaAs by medium-energy N<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript></Stack> ions

The modification of GaAs with a 2500-eV beam containing N ₂ ⁺ and Ar⁺ ions is examined with Auger electron spectroscopy. Most implanted nitrogen atoms are found to react with the matrix, substituting arsenic atoms to produce a several-nanometer-thick layer of the single-phase GaAs_1−x N_x (x=6%) solid solution. The GaN phase is absent. Displaced arsenic atoms and nitrogen atoms unreacted with the matrix are present in the layer and on its surface. The former segregate, whereas the latter form molecules.     

Inner-shell excited quartet states in Li-like O<Superscript>5+</Superscript> and Ne<Superscript>7+</Superscript> ions

First laser spectroscopic measurements of the 6s5d³D₁-6s6p¹P₁ and 6s5d³D₂-6s6p¹P₁ transitions in several isotopes of atomic barium have been performed. The hyperfine structure of these transitions was optically resolved and isotope shifts for even and odd isotopes were determined. The isotope shifts show a deviation from their expected behavior for odd isotopes in an analysis based on King-plots. This observation puts atomic structure calculations at test because available theories do not predict this. A profound understanding of the wavefunctions for heavy alkaline earth systems like barium (Ba) and radium (Ra) is essential for a theoretical evaluation of their sensitivity to fundamental symmetry breaking effects such as they could be observed, e.g., through permanent electric dipole moments. Further the absolute frequency of the 6s^{2 1}S₀-6s6p³P₁ intercombination line in ¹³⁸Ba was determined to be 12 636.6232(1) cm^-1.     

High-precision mass measurements of hydrogen-like <Superscript>24</Superscript>Mg<Superscript>11+</Superscript> and <Superscript>26</Superscript>Mg<Superscript>11+</Superscript> ions in a Penning trap

For the determination of the bound-electron g factor in hydrogen-like heavy ions the mass of the ion is needed at a relative uncertainty of at least 1 ppb. With the SMILETRAP Penning trap mass spectrometer at the Manne Siegbahn Laboratory in Stockholm several mass measurements of ions with even-even nuclei at this level of precision have been performed so far, exploiting the fact that the mass precision increases linearly with the ion charge. Measurements of masses of the hydrogen-like ions of the two Mg-isotopes ²⁴Mg and ²⁶Mg are reported. The masses of the hydrogen-like ions are 23.979011054(14) u and 25.976562354(34) u, corresponding to the atomic masses 23.985041690(14) u and 25.982592986(34) u, respectively. The possibility to use these two isotopes for the first observation of an isotope effect in the bound-electron g factor in hydrogen-like heavy ions is discussed.     

Qualitative sims analysis of<Superscript>28,29,30</Superscript>Si isotope concentration in silicon using a Tof.Sims-5 Setup

The possibility of quantitative SIMS determination of^28-30Si isotope concentrations in silicon samples using a TOF.SIMS-5 spectrometer is shown. Th e isotope composition of a large number of Si samples, namely epitaxial Si layers with a natural isotope ratio, amorphous Si films depleted of²⁸Si isotope (deposited on natural Si substrates), and samples enriched with ²⁸Si isotope (manufactured by VITCON) is investigated. Substantial variations in the ²⁹Si/³⁰Si isotope ratio (from 1.51 for the natural content up to 25 in the case of limiting enrichment with ²⁸Si isotope) are revealed.     

The beta-decay scheme of <Superscript>232</Superscript>Fr and the K = 0 ground-state band in <Superscript>232</Superscript>Ra

The beta-decay of ²³²Fr to excited states in ²³²Ra has been studied using gamma-gamma coincidence detection combined with the isotope separator on-line technique at the ISOLDE PSB facility at CERN. Earlier findings are confirmed and three new gamma lines are reported. In addition to the beta-decay characteristics of ²³²Fr, the K = 0 ground-state band in ²³²Ra is identified. A yield survey of neutron-rich Fr isotopes, important also for the EURISOL project, is incorporated.Received: 20 April 2004, Revised: 12 May 2004, Published online: 13 July 2004PACS: 21.10.-k Properties of nuclei; nuclear energy levels - 23.20.-g Electromagnetic transitions - 28.60. + s Isotope separation and enrichment - 29.25.Rm Sources of radioactive nuclei     

On the hyperfine structures of the ground state(s) in the <Superscript>6</Superscript>Li and <Superscript>7</Superscript>Li atoms

The hyperfine structure of the ground 2²S-states of the three-electron atoms and ions is investigated. By using our recent numerical values for the doublet electron density at the atomic nucleus, we determine the hyperfine structure of the ground (doublet) 2²S-state(s) in the ⁶Li and ⁷Li atoms. Our predicted values (228.2058 and 803.5581 MHz, respectively) agree well with the experimental values 228.20528(8) MHz (⁶Li) and 803.50404(48) MHz (⁷Li [R.G. Schlecht and D.W. McColm, Phys. Rev. 142, 11 (1966)]). The hyperfine structures of a number of lithium isotopes with short lifetimes, including ⁸Li, ⁹Li, and ¹¹Li atoms are also predicted. The same method is used to obtain the hyperfine structures of the three-electron ⁷Be⁺ and ⁹Be⁺ ions in their ground 2²S-states. Finally, we conclude that our approach can be generalized to describe the hyperfine structure in the triplet n³S-states of the four-electron atoms and ions.     

Frequency measurements in the b <Superscript>3</Superscript>Π(0<Subscript>u</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript>) - X <Superscript>1</Superscript>Σ<Subscript>g</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript> system of K<Subscript>2</Subscript>

Absolute transition frequencies of the b ³Π(0_u ⁺) - X ¹Σ_g ⁺ system of K₂ were measured in a molecular beam with Lamb dip absorption spectroscopy applying a frequency comb from a femtosecond pulsed laser. Both, K atoms and K₂ molecules are present in the beam and are expected to interact by collisions. The atoms can be deflected optically out of the beam, and thus the collision rate between K atoms and K₂ molecules is changed by about an order of magnitude. The molecular transition frequencies for low collisional rate are compared with those for high one. Limits for the collisional frequency shift within the beam are determined.     

Variation in magnesium isotopic composition during zone recrystallization of MgCl<Subscript>2</Subscript>·6H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O

The variation in Mg isotopic composition during MgCl₂·6H₂O zone recrystallization was studied. It was shown that light isotope ²⁴ Mg enrichment occurs at the crystal end to which the recrystallization zone moves. Isotopes ²⁵ Mg and ²⁶ Mg concentrate in the initial crystallization zone. When the molten zone is exposed to a de magnetic field or direct current, the separation factor increases. The data obtained were compared with data on magnesium isotope separation by other physicochemical methods.     

Zeeman laser cooling of <Superscript>85</Superscript>Rb atoms in transverse magnetic field

The process of Zeeman laser cooling of ⁸⁵Rb atoms in a new scheme employing a transverse magnetic field has been experimentally studied. Upon cooling, the average velocity of atoms was 12 m/s at a beam intensity of 7.2×10¹² s^?1 and an atomic density of 4.7×10¹⁰ cm^?3.     

X-ray spectra induced by <Superscript>129</Superscript>Xe<Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">q</Emphasis>+</Superscript> impacting the metal surface

Using the slow highly charged ions ¹²⁹Xe ^q+ (q = 25, 26, 27; initial kinetic T ₀⩽4.65 keV/a.u.) to impact Au surface, the Au atomic Mα characteristic X-ray spectrum is induced. The result shows that as long as the charge state of projectile is high enough, the heavy atomic characteristic X-ray can be effectively excited even though the incident beam is very weak (nA magnitude), and the X-ray yield per ion is in the order of 10⁻⁸ and increases with the kinetic energy and potential energy of projectile. By measuring the Au Mα-X-ray spectra, Au atomic N-level lifetime is estimated at about 1.33×10⁻¹⁸ s based on Heisenberg uncertainty relation. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 10574132, 10274088 and 10405025), the Talent Introduction Project of Xianyang Normal University (Grant No. 05XSYK103) and the Education Commission Foundation of Shaanxi Province (Grant No. 04JK300)     

Resonant interaction of femtosecond radiation with a cloud of cold <Superscript>87</Superscript>Rb atoms

The resonant interaction of ⁸⁷Rb atoms in a magneto-optical trap with femtosecond laser radiation in the spectral range 760–820 nm has been investigated experimentally. It has been demonstrated that femtosecond laser radiation with a spectral width of 10 nm interacts with an atomic ensemble as a set of spectrally narrow modes and as an ionizing laser field simultaneously. The dynamics of trap loading in the presence of ionization by femtosecond radiation has been studied, and the 5D _5/2 level population produced by an additional weak laser field has been measured.     

Studying the regime of complete decoupling of the bond between the electron and nuclear moments at the <Emphasis Type="Italic">D</Emphasis><Subscript>1</Subscript>-line of the <Superscript>39</Superscript>K potassium isotope using a spectroscopic microcell

Atomic transitions of the ³⁹K potassium isotope in strong (up to 1 kG) longitudinal and transverse magnetic fields have been studied with a high spectral resolution. It has been shown that crossover resonances are almost absent in the saturated absorption spectrum of potassium vapors in a 30-μm-thick microcell. This, together with the small spectral width of atomic transitions (~30 MHz), allows one to use the saturated absorption spectrum for determining frequencies and probabilities of individual transitions. Among the alkali metals, potassium atoms have the smallest magnitude of the hyperfine splitting of the lower level. This allows one to observe the break of the coupling between the electronic and nuclear angular momentums at comparatively low magnetic fields B > 500 G, i.e., to implement the hyperfine Paschen–Back regime (HPB). In the HPB regime, four equidistantly positioned transitions with the same amplitude are detected in circularly polarized light (σ⁺). In linearly polarized light (π) at the transverse orientation of the magnetic field, the spectrum consists of eight lines which are grouped in two groups each of which consists of four lines. Each group has a special distinguished G-transition and the transition that is forbidden in the zero magnetic field. In the HPB regime, the probabilities of transitions in a group and derivatives of their frequency shifts with respect to the magnetic field asymptotically tend to magnitudes that are typical for the aforesaid distinguished G-transition. Some practical applications for the used microcell are mentioned.     

Distribution of <Superscript>28</Superscript>Si, <Superscript>29</Superscript>Si,and <Superscript>30</Superscript>Si isotopes under plastic deformation in subsurface layers of Si: B crystals

The redistribution of ²⁸Si, ²⁹Si, and ³⁰Si isotopes in subsurface layers of Si: B single crystals after their plastic deformation has been revealed. It has been found that the distribution profile of ²⁸Si and ²⁹Si isotopes becomes smoother after deformation, whereas the ³⁰Si isotope distribution remains unchanged. A change in the subsurface profile of the ²⁹SiO oxide is observed, which indicates the migration of the ²⁹Si isotope in the composition of oxygen complexes during plastic deformation.