Bonn 2025 – wissenschaftliches Programm

Bereiche | Tage | Auswahl | Suche | Aktualisierungen | Downloads | Hilfe

Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 35: Precision Spectroscopy of Atoms and Ions III (joint session A/Q)

Q 35.5: Vortrag

Mittwoch, 12. März 2025, 12:15–12:30, HS PC

Buffer Gas Stopping Cell for Extraction of ²²⁹Th Ions for Nuclear Clock Development — •Srinivasa Arasada¹, Florian Zacherl¹, Keerthan Subramanian¹, Jonas Stricker^2,3, Valerii Andriushkov^2,4, Yumiao Wang¹, Nutan Kumari Sah¹, Ke Zhang¹, Ferdinand Schmidt-Kaler¹, Dmitry Budker^1,2,4, Christoph Düllman^2,3,4, and Lars von der Wense¹ — ¹Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Mainz, Germany — ²Helmholtz Institute Mainz, Germany — ³Department of Chemie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germany — ⁴GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany

The isomeric state of ²²⁹Th offers a unique opportunity for precision spectroscopy due to its exceptionally low excitation energy, making it most suitable for developing nuclear clocks with unprecedented accuracy. The isomeric state in ²²⁹Th can be populated via a 2% decay branch during α decay of ²³³U. Here we outline our plans for extracting thorium ions from a ²³³U recoil-ion source using a buffer gas stopping cell. The system utilizes ultra-pure helium gas to minimize substantial losses caused by charge exchange or molecular formation. The extracted Th³⁺ions are subsequently loaded into a Paul trap together with laser-cooled ⁴⁰Ca⁺ ions for spectroscopic interrogation.

This project is being supported by the BMBF Quantum Futur II Grant Project ’NuQuant’(FKZ 13N16295A).

Keywords: Nuclear clock; Buffer gas; Thorium ions; α decay; Paul trap