Laser resonance ionization for efficient and selective ionization of rare species

Abstract

Due to the steady development and refinement of powerful pulsed as well as continuous-wave lasers, resonance ionization has developed into an extremely versatile tool for numerous applications. Apart from suppressing isobaric interferences and contributing to isotopic selectivity already in the ionization process, resonant optical excitation and ionization with laser light ensures high overall efficiency and good temporal and spatial controls of the ions delivered to mass spectrometric applications. In the field of rare isotope research laser resonance ionization has nowadays become one of the key techniques, including similarly the determination of long-lived or stable ultra-trace isotopes with minuscule abundance in analytics as well as the online production and subsequent investigations of short-lived radioisotopes. The paper will describe the present status of atomic resonance ionization and focus on some technical and methodological developments.