Optical pumping in an RF cooler buncher

The use of optical pumping in an RF linear Paul trap is shown to permit efficient collinear laser spectroscopy in systems where atomic ground state resonance lines are ill-suited to the fast beam technique. The case of yttrium, where laser spectroscopy has been used to study ^{86–90,92–102}Y and isomeric states of ^{87–90,93,96,97,98}Y, is highlighted.