Related papers: Energy of the $^{229}$Th nuclear clock transition
$^{229}$Th with a low-lying nuclear isomeric state is an essential candidate for a nuclear clock as well as many other applications. Laser excitation of the isomeric state has been a long-standing goal. With relativistic $^{229}$Th ions in…
State-of-the-art atomic clocks are based on the precise detection of the energy difference between two atomic levels, measured as a quantum phase accumulated in a given time interval. Optical-lattice clocks (OLCs) now operate at or near the…
Clocks based on nuclear isomer transitions promise exceptional stability and precision. The low transition energy of the thorium-229 isomer makes it an ideal candidate, as it has been excited by a vacuum-ultraviolet laser and is highly…
The process of internal conversion from excited electronic states is investigated theoretically for the case of the vacuum-ultraviolet nuclear transition of $^{229}{\mathrm Th}$. Due to the very low transition energy, the $^{229}{\mathrm…
Nuclear excitation cross section of $^{229}$Th from the ground state to the low-lying isomeric state via inelastic electron scattering is calculated, on the level of Dirac distorted wave Born approximation. With electron energies below 100…
The isotope $^{229}$Th is unique in that it possesses an isomeric state of only a few eV above the ground state, suitable for nuclear laser excitation. An optical clock based on this transition is expected to be a very sensitive probe for…
With an expected energy of 7.8(5) eV, the isomeric first excited state in $^{229}$Th exhibits the lowest excitation energy of all known nuclei. Until today, a value for the excitation energy has been inferred only by indirect measurements.…
Peik and Tamm [Europhys. Lett. 61, 181 (2003)] proposed a nuclear clock based on the isomeric transition between the ground state and the first excited state of thorium-229. This transition was recognized as a potentially sensitive probe of…
The 10-minute radiative lifetime of the first excited $^{229}$Th$^{4+}$ nuclear state in ionic crystals provides narrow spectroscopic linewidths, enabling the realization of a solid-state nuclear clock. Due to the 4+ noble gas…
The 7.6(5) eV nuclear magnetic-dipole transition in a single 229Th3+ ion may provide the foundation for an optical clock of superb accuracy. A virtual clock transition composed of stretched states within the 5F5/2 electronic ground level of…
A comprehensive theoretical study of direct laser excitation of a nuclear state based on the density matrix formalism is presented. The nuclear clock isomer $^{229\text{m}}$Th is discussed in detail, as it could allow for direct laser…
LiSrAlF$_6$ crystals doped with $^{229}$Th are used in a laser-based search for the nuclear isomeric transition. Two spectroscopic features near the nuclear transition energy are observed. The first is a broad excitation feature that…
Excitation of the isomeric nuclear state 229m Th in the process of thorium atom irradiation by two-color femtosecond pulse of Ti: Sa laser at the fundamental wavelength and second harmonic is analyzed. It is shown that the rate of isomeric…
We estimate the range of the radiative lifetime and energy of the anomalous, low-energy $3/2^+(7.8 \pm 0.5$ eV) state in the $^{229}$Th nucleus. Our phenomenological calculations are based on the available experimental data for the…
The radioisotope Th-229 is renowned for its extraordinarily low-energy, long-lived nuclear first-excited state. This isomeric state can be excited by VUV lasers and the transition from the ground state has been proposed as a reference…
We aim to perform direct optical spectroscopy of the Th-229 nuclear isomer to measure its energy and lifetime, and to demonstrate optical coupling to the nucleus. To this end, we develop Th-doped CaF2 crystals, which are transparent at the…
A new approach to observe the radiative decay of the $^{229}$Th nuclear isomer, and to determine its energy and radiative lifetime, is presented. Situated at a uniquely low excitation energy, this nuclear state might be a key ingredient for…
The $^{229}\text{Th}$ isotope is a promising candidate for nuclear clocks, with its transition frequency influenced by electron-induced nuclear frequency shifts. This effect is comparatively small and requires high-precision theoretical…
When Th nuclei are doped in CaF$_2$ crystals, a set of electronic defect states appears in the crystal bandgap which would otherwise provide complete transparency to vacuum-ultraviolet radiation. The coupling of these defect states to the 8…
We present analytical estimates and numerical calculations showing that the energy level density in open-shell atoms increases exponentially with increase of excitation energy. As an example, we use the relativistic Hartree-Fock and…