Nuclear clock based on the Th V ion
Abstract
We propose that a nuclear clock based on the Th V ion can surpass the accuracy of clocks built with other thorium ions. The Th ion has a rigid closed-shell core with zero total electron angular momentum, suppressing frequency shifts from black-body radiation and stray external fields that act mainly on electrons. We calculate the energy shift of the nuclear clock transition frequency in Th due to the Coulomb field of atomic electrons and find a relative frequency difference of between Th IV and Th V - twelve orders of magnitude larger than the projected fractional uncertainty of a nuclear clock. We also perform calculations for Th V energy levels, ionization potential, static polarizability, and the black-body radiation shift of the nuclear line. Additionally, we determine the nuclear transition frequencies in two thorium ions and neutral atom: GHz in Th III, GHz in Th II, and GHz in Th I.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2503.04081,
title = {Nuclear clock based on the Th V ion},
author = {V. A. Dzuba and V. V. Flambaum and E. Peik},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2503.04081},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
7 pages, 5 tables