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Physical Review Letters

Laser trapping of short-lived radioactive isotopes

Z-T. Lu, C. J. Bowers, S. J. Freedman, Brian K. Fujikawa, J.L. Mortara, S-Q. Shang, K. P. Coulter, Linda Young

Published Jun 13, 1994• 72 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We describe an experiment which demonstrates the feasibility of trapping significant quantities of short-lived radioactive atoms with laser light. A thermal beam of 22.5 sec half-life $^{21}\mathrm{Na}$ atoms was produced on-line at the LBL 88'' Cyclotron. After decelerating the beam using a Zeeman-tuned slowing technique we stored about 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{3}$ $^{21}\mathrm{Na}$ atoms in a magneto-optical trap. The number of trapped atoms is large enough to be used in experimental studies of the beta decay of $^{21}\mathrm{Na}$. The basic method can be adapted for other rare isotopes.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.72.3791

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Bulletin of the American Physical Society•May 1, 1996•1 citation
We describe an experiment which demonstrates the feasibility of trapping significant quantities of short-lived radioactive atoms with laser light. A thermal beam of 22.5 sec half-life 21Na^{21}\mathrm{Na}21Na atoms was produced on-line at the LBL 88'' Cyclotron. After decelerating the beam using a Zeeman-tuned slowing technique we stored about 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}103{10}^{3}103 21Na^{21}\mathrm{Na}21Na atoms in a magneto-optical trap. The number of trapped atoms is large enough to be used in experimental studies of the beta decay of 21Na^{21}\mathrm{Na}21Na. The basic method can be adapted for other rare isotopes.
The capability of manipulating neutral atoms with the force of resonant scattered laser light is being exploited in several different areas of research. The author discusses applications in particle and nuclear physics by expediting some measurements of the subtle effects of the fundamental weak interaction in atoms and nuclei. It was shown in two recent experiments that it is possible to efficiently cool accelerator produced short-lived isotopes and load them into magneto-optic traps. These demonstrations open up new possibilities for obtaining the required precision in experiments involving rare radioactive isotopes.
Laser cooling and trapping of rare, radioactive isotopes has the potential for greatly enhancing experiments in high resolution spectroscopy of exotic species, electron electric-dipole moment searches, β-decay asymmetry, and parity nonconservation. The ability to hold atoms for several seconds at high densities (1011 cm-3) and away from the perturbing effects of the cell walls makes laser cooling and trapping attractive for use in the experiments mentioned above. Because many isotopes of interest for these experiments are difficult to produce, the ability to quickly and efficiently collect these atoms from a dilute vapor is crucial. We have demonstrated a 6% collection efficiency in a special wall-coated cell. We have developed a model that predicts the capture efficiency as a function of trap properties and have developed techniques for measuring the pertinent characteristics.
We have magneto-optically trapped the nine stable isotopes of xenon. Using the Zeeman slowing method to decelerate a beam of xenon atoms in the metastable 6s 3/2 [3/2]2{]}_{2}]2​ state (notation representing nl Jcore{\mathit{J}}_{\mathrm{core}}Jcore​ [K=Jcore{\mathit{J}}_{\mathrm{core}}Jcore​+l]J{]}_{\mathit{J}}]J​), we load our trap to a collisionally limited density of more than 1010{10}^{10}1010 atoms/cm3{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}cm3. The two odd isotopes are trapped without a repumping frequency, even though they have hyperfine structure. The sensitivity of the trapping process to the laser frequency is exploited to make accurate measurements of the isotope shifts for the 6s 3/2 [3/2]2{]}_{2}]2​\ensuremath{\rightarrow}6p 3/2 [5/2]3{]}_{3}]3​ laser-cooling transition and of the hyperfine constants for 131Xe^{131}\mathrm{Xe}131Xe.
As part of an effort to measure parity non-conserving atomic transition rates in a series of Cs radioisotopes, the authors are working on the efficient coupling of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) to a mass separator. They have established a test stand for optical trapping which is used for the off-line development of a high-efficiency MOT. Their trap features a dry-film coated cell with large (5 cm) windows to permit the use of large diameter, high power laser beams to increase the efficiency of the trapping process. Studies of the effect of detuning, magnetic field gradient, laser beam intensity and different beam sizes on the number of trapped atoms are presented.