Berlin 2014 – scientific programme
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A: Fachverband Atomphysik
A 49: Precision measurements and metrology II (with Q)
A 49.6: Talk
Thursday, March 20, 2014, 18:15–18:30, DO24 1.101
Towards VUV frequency comb based high-precision spectroscopy of an optical nuclear transition of Thorium-229 — •Georg Winkler1, Enikoe Seres1,2, Josef Seres1, and Thorsten Schumm1,2 — 1Insitute of Atomic and Subatomic Physics, Vienna University of Technology, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna, Austria — 2Wolfgang Pauli Institute, CNRS UMI 2842, Nordbergstrasse 15, 1090 Vienna, Austria
The radio isotope Thorium-229 is predicted to possess a unique extremely low-energy excited state of the nucleus in the range of 7.6±0.5 eV [1], promising the chance to coherently manipulate a nucleus by UV laser light for the first time. Apart from exciting fundamental research questions this well-shielded narrow-linewidth transition opens up the possibility to realize a compact solid-state optical time standard surpassing the precision of existing systems by orders of magnitude.
Here we report about the ongoing project to build a UV frequency comb suited to interrogate and characterize the nuclear transition in its solid-state environment when embedded into a host crystal. In particular, precise comparison to established radio-frequency clock transitions should be made possible with this modern research tool.
[1] B. R. Beck et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 98, 142501 (2007).