Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Applied Physics Letters

Separation of isotopes by laser deflection of atomic beam. I. Barium

Anthony F. Bernhardt, D. E. Duerre, J. R. Simpson, Lowell T. Wood

Published Nov 15, 1974• 60 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Spatial separation of isotopes of barium in an atomic beam has been demonstrated, using radiation pressure of light from a tunable dye laser which resolved the unusually narrow isotopic hyperfine structure of the Ba (I) 5535.7-Å resonance line. Observations of the deflected monoisotopic beam indicate an average of 25 photons scattered per atom in the deflected beam.

DOI
10.1063/1.1655333

Related papers

Laser isotope separation of barium using an inhomogeneous magnetic field

William Arie van Wijngaarden, Jin-Sun Ki

Isotopes of barium are selectively excited to a metastable state using a single ring dye laser. The excited atoms are then deflected out of an atomic beam by an inhomogeneous magnetic field. The deflection of the beam is studied using a hot wire detector and a quadrupole mass spectrometer. Measurements are presented showing that nearly all atoms of a particle isotope can be excited from the 6s{sup 2} ground still to the 6s5d state and subsequently spatially separated. This method of isotope separation requires metastable states having lifetimes greater than about 100 {mu}sec. These states can be readily excited from the ground state in atoms such as the Group II elements.

Bulletin of the American Physical Society•May 1, 1993•0 citations

Isotopically selective optical deflection of a krypton atomic beam

G. R. Janik, Bret D. Cannon, Rachel Ogorzalek Loo +1 more

We deflected a well-collimated beam of krypton atoms in the metastable ls5 state by radiation pressure from a single-frequency dye laser. To produce the radiation pressure, we resonantly excited the krypton atoms, using the 1s5–2p9 transition. The natural width of this transition is much smaller than its isotope shift, which allowed us to deflect one isotope at a time. This created a new isotopically enriched atomic beam of Kr(1s5). We achieved a maximum enrichment factor of 1.2 × 104 at a deflection angle of 19 mrad. This enrichment is limited mainly by scattering of the parent atomic beam by residual gas. This degree of enrichment may make it possible to perform sensitive measurements of the concentrations of rare krypton isotopes in environmental samples.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Sep 1, 1989•8 citations

Separation of Li isotopes by laser defection of atomic beams

L. Li, Y. Wang, Minghui Li

Separation of Li isotopes by laser deflection of atomic beams has been carried out. An atomic beam apparatus with a collimating ratio of 450/1 generates are Li atomic beam of 10/sup 9/ atoms/cm/sup 3/ at the oven temperature of 600 /sup 0/C. The CW tunable dye laser crossing the atomic beam at a right angle has a linewidth of 6 MHz and its intensity as the I-cm interaction area is about 70 mW/cm/sup 2/. When the laser frequency is tuned to coincide with /sup 7/Li2/sup 2/P/sub 3/2/F = 3-2/sup 2/S/sub 1/2/ F = 2 transition, /sup 7/Li atoms are deflected from the beam. The deflected atoms are very pure /sup 7/Li and almost do not contain /sup 8/Li. When the laser frequency coincides with any other transition of 2/sup 2/P-2/sup 5/S of both /sup 5/Li and /sup 7/Li, no apparent deflection is observed because of the optical pumping of the hyperfine levels of the 2/sup 2/S/sub 1/2/ ground state.

Chin. Phys.; (United States)•Jan 1, 1983•0 citations

A new method of isotope separation by means of laser deflection of an atomic beam

Liang Liu, Yuzhu Wang

The radiation pressure produced by two-laser fields on a two-level atom is obtained. These results show that the radiation pressure produced by two-laser fields with appropriate detunings with atom is much greater than that produced by a single-laser field. This great radiation pressure is possible to be applied to isotope separation by laser deflection of an atomic beam.

Chinese Physics Letters•Nov 1, 1986•1 citation

Isotope separation by radiation pressure of coherent π pulses

Harry Friedmann, A D Wilson

Limitations of existing methods of isotope separation, using atomic beam deflection induced by radiation pressure, are discussed. A new method, based on selective momentum transfer by intense unchirped reflected laser pulses, is proposed. The pulses produce population inversion in one isotope leaving the other unaffected. This population inversion is obtained using isotope selective optical precession. The method is supported by the full solution of the equations of motion of a two-level atom interacting with realistic light pulses of arbitrary strength.

Applied Physics Letters•Mar 1, 1976•18 citations

Atomic-Beam Deflection by Resonance-Radiation Pressure

Arthur Ashkin

It is proposed to use the saturated value of the radiation pressure force on neutral atoms to produce a constant central force field to deflect atoms in circular orbits and make a high-resolution velocity analyzer. This is useful for studying the interaction of atoms with high-intensity monochromatic light, and to separate, velocity analyze, or trap neutral atoms of specific isotopic species or hyperfine level.

Physical Review Letters•Nov 9, 1970•344 citations
Spatial separation of isotopes of barium in an atomic beam has been demonstrated, using radiation pressure of light from a tunable dye laser which resolved the unusually narrow isotopic hyperfine structure of the Ba (I) 5535.7-Å resonance line. Observations of the deflected monoisotopic beam indicate an average of 25 photons scattered per atom in the deflected beam.
Isotopes of barium are selectively excited to a metastable state using a single ring dye laser. The excited atoms are then deflected out of an atomic beam by an inhomogeneous magnetic field. The deflection of the beam is studied using a hot wire detector and a quadrupole mass spectrometer. Measurements are presented showing that nearly all atoms of a particle isotope can be excited from the 6s{sup 2} ground still to the 6s5d state and subsequently spatially separated. This method of isotope separation requires metastable states having lifetimes greater than about 100 {mu}sec. These states can be readily excited from the ground state in atoms such as the Group II elements.
We deflected a well-collimated beam of krypton atoms in the metastable ls5 state by radiation pressure from a single-frequency dye laser. To produce the radiation pressure, we resonantly excited the krypton atoms, using the 1s5–2p9 transition. The natural width of this transition is much smaller than its isotope shift, which allowed us to deflect one isotope at a time. This created a new isotopically enriched atomic beam of Kr(1s5). We achieved a maximum enrichment factor of 1.2 × 104 at a deflection angle of 19 mrad. This enrichment is limited mainly by scattering of the parent atomic beam by residual gas. This degree of enrichment may make it possible to perform sensitive measurements of the concentrations of rare krypton isotopes in environmental samples.
Separation of Li isotopes by laser deflection of atomic beams has been carried out. An atomic beam apparatus with a collimating ratio of 450/1 generates are Li atomic beam of 10/sup 9/ atoms/cm/sup 3/ at the oven temperature of 600 /sup 0/C. The CW tunable dye laser crossing the atomic beam at a right angle has a linewidth of 6 MHz and its intensity as the I-cm interaction area is about 70 mW/cm/sup 2/. When the laser frequency is tuned to coincide with /sup 7/Li2/sup 2/P/sub 3/2/F = 3-2/sup 2/S/sub 1/2/ F = 2 transition, /sup 7/Li atoms are deflected from the beam. The deflected atoms are very pure /sup 7/Li and almost do not contain /sup 8/Li. When the laser frequency coincides with any other transition of 2/sup 2/P-2/sup 5/S of both /sup 5/Li and /sup 7/Li, no apparent deflection is observed because of the optical pumping of the hyperfine levels of the 2/sup 2/S/sub 1/2/ ground state.
Limitations of existing methods of isotope separation, using atomic beam deflection induced by radiation pressure, are discussed. A new method, based on selective momentum transfer by intense unchirped reflected laser pulses, is proposed. The pulses produce population inversion in one isotope leaving the other unaffected. This population inversion is obtained using isotope selective optical precession. The method is supported by the full solution of the equations of motion of a two-level atom interacting with realistic light pulses of arbitrary strength.