Hot-cavity Laser Ion Source Research Articles

Separation of manganese isotopes by resonance ionization mass spectrometry for 53Mn half-life determination

We report on the production of ultra-pure samples of the long-lived radioisotope 53Mn for precision measurements of its half-life. Activated samples from a copper beam dump from PSI, which was irradiated with 590 MeV protons, were used for extraction of the manganese fraction. Following initial radiochemical purification, efficient three-photon laser resonance ionization of manganese inside a hot-cavity laser ion source was applied for subsequent isotope selection in a 30 keV high transmission magnetic mass separator. A new ionization scheme was developed and characterized for 53Mn implantation. In this way the isobar 53Cr and the Mn isotopes 54,55Mn are quantitavely removed, with a special focus on the radioactive 54Mn isotope. Microgram quantities of 53Mn were implanted into Al targets with an isotopic and isobaric purity of well above 103. An overall efficiency of the enrichment process of about 15% was demonstrated.

Radioactive ion beam manipulation at the IGISOL-4 facility

The IGISOL-4 facility in the JYFL Accelerator Laboratory of the University of Jyvaskyla (JYFL-ACCLAB) produces low-energy radioactive ion beams, primarily for nuclear spectroscopy, utilizing an ion guide-based, ISOL-type mass separator. Recently, new ion manipulation techniques have been introduced at the IGISOL-4 including the application of the PI-ICR (Phase-Imaging Ion Cyclotron Resonance) technique at the JYFLTRAP Penning trap, as well as commissioning of a Multi-Reflection Time-Of-Flight (MR-TOF) separator/spectrometer. The successful operation of the MR-TOF also required significant improvement of the Radio-Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) cooler and buncher device beam pulse time structure. In addition, laser ionization techniques have been developed for particular cases, for example, a hot cavity laser ion source for silver production. A new stable isotope ion source and a beam line has been introduced for tuning and calibration purposes. In addition to the installations at the IGISOL-4 facility, the extension of the vacuum-mode recoil separator MARA (Mass Analysing Recoil Apparatus), MARA-LEB (MARA Low Energy Branch) has been under development. MARA-LEB will utilize the gas-cell technique and laser ionization to convert MeV-scale radioactive beams to low-energy ones.

High efficiency resonance ionization of thorium

Multi-step resonance ionization spectroscopy of thorium has been performed with Ti:Sapphire lasers and a hot-cavity laser ion source. Resonance ionization schemes involving three-color, three-photon ionization processes are evaluated and a new three-photon scheme is demonstrated with measured overall ionization efficiency of 38.6(5)%. This high efficiency makes it possible to determine the thorium impurities in materials used for ultra-low background neutrino detectors and could also benefit ultra-trace thorium analysis using resonance ionization mass spectrometry for various radiochemical tracer applications.

First demonstration of Doppler-free 2-photon in-source laser spectroscopy at the ISOLDE-RILIS

Collinear Doppler-free 2-photon resonance ionization has been applied inside a hot cavity laser ion source environment at CERN-ISOLDE. An injection-seeded Ti:sapphire ring laser was used to generate light pulses with a Fourier-limited linewidth for high-resolution spectroscopy. Using a molybdenum foil as a reflective surface positioned at the end of the target transfer line, rubidium was successfully ionized inside the hot cavity. The results are presented alongside previously obtained data from measurements performed at the RISIKO mass separator at Mainz University, where collinear and perpendicular ionization geometries were tested inside an RFQ ion guide. This work is a pre-cursor to the application of the Doppler-free 2-photon in-source spectroscopy method at ISOLDE. This approach aims to take advantage of the unmatched sensitivity of in-source spectroscopy, without the disadvantage of Doppler broadening.

Laser spectroscopy of the 1001-nm ground-state transition in dysprosium

We present the first direct excitation of the presumably ultra-narrow $1001 \, \textrm{nm}$ ground state transition in atomic dysproium. By using resonance ionization spectroscopy with pulsed Ti:sapphire lasers at a hot cavity laser ion source, we were able to measure the isotopic shifts in the $1001 \, \textrm{nm}$ line between all seven stable isotopes. Furthermore, we determined the upper level energy from the atomic transition frequency of the $^{164} \textrm{Dy}$ isotope as $9991.004(1) \, \textrm{cm}^{-1}$ and confirm the level energy listed in the NIST database. Since a sufficiently narrow natural linewidth is an essential prerequisite for high precision spectroscopic investigations for fundamental questions we furthermore determined a lower limit of $2.9(1) \, \mu\textrm{s}$ for the lifetime of the excited state.

Resonant ionization spectroscopy of autoionizing Rydberg states in cobalt and redetermination of its ionization potential**This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to

Multi-step resonance ionization spectroscopy of cobalt has been performed using a hot-cavity laser ion source and three Ti:Sapphire lasers. The photoionization spectra revealed members of five new autoionizing Rydberg series that originate from three different lower levels of 3d74s5s h4F9/2, 3d74s4d f4G11/2, and 3d74s4d f4H13/2 and converge to the first four excited states of singly ionized Co. The analyses of the Rydberg series yield 63 564.689 ± 0.036 cm−1 as the first ionization potential of Co, which is an order of magnitude more accurate than the previous estimation. Using a three-step resonance ionization scheme that employs an autoinizing Rydberg state in the last transition, we obtained an overall ionization efficiency of about 18% for Co.

Resonant three-photon ionization spectroscopy of atomic Fe

Laser spectroscopic investigations on high-lying states around the ionization potential (IP) in the atomic spectrum of Fe have been carried out for the development of a practical three-step resonance ionization scheme accessible by Ti: sapphire lasers. A hot cavity laser ion source, typically used at on-line radioactive ion beam production facilities, was employed in this work. Ionization schemes employing high-lying Rydberg and autoionizing states populated by three-photon excitations were established. Five new Rydberg and autoionizing Rydberg series converging to the ground and to the first four excited states of Fe II are reported. Analyses of the Rydberg series yield the value 63 737.686 ± 0.068 cm−1 for the ionization potential of iron.

Time profile of ion pulses produced in a hot-cavity laser ion source

The time spreads of Mn ions produced by three-photon resonant ionization in a hot-cavity laser ion source are measured. A one-dimensional ion-transport model is developed to simulate the observed ion time structures. Assuming ions are generated with a Maxwellian velocity distribution and are guided by an axial electric field, the predictions of the model agree reasonably well with the experimental data and suggest that the ions are radially confined in the ion source and a substantial fraction of the ions in the transport tube are extracted.

Emittance characterization of a hot-cavity laser ion source at Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility

The first investigation of the transverse emittance of a hot-cavity laser ion source based on all-solid-state Ti:sapphire lasers is presented. The emittances of (63)Cu ion beams generated by three-photon resonant ionization are measured and compared with that of the (69)Ga and (39)K ion beams resulting from surface ionization in the same ion source. A self-consistent unbiased elliptical exclusion method is adapted for noise reduction and emittance analysis. Typical values of the rms and 90% fractional emittances of the Cu ion beams at 20 keV energy are found to be about 2 and 8 pi mm mrad, respectively, for the ion currents of 2-40 nA investigated. The emittances of the laser-produced Cu ion beams are smaller than those of the surface-ionized Ga and K ion beams.

A hot cavity laser ion source at IGISOL

A development program is underway at the IGISOL (Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line) facility, University of Jyvaskyla, to efficiently and selectively produce low-energy radioactive ion beams of silver isotopes and isomers, with a particular interest in N=Z 94Ag. A hot cavity ion source has been installed, based on the FEBIAD (Forced Electron Beam Induced Arc Discharge) technique, combined with a titanium:sapphire laser system for selective laser ionization. The silver recoils produced via the heavy-ion fusion-evaporation reaction, 40Ca(58Ni, p3n)94Ag, are stopped in a graphite catcher, diffused, extracted and subsequently ionized using a three-step laser ionization scheme. The performance of the different components of the hot cavity laser ion source is discussed and initial results using stable 107,109Ag are presented.

Optical spectroscopy and performance tests with a solid state laser ion source at HRIBF

An ISOLDE-type hot-cavity laser ion source based on high-repetition-rate Ti:Sapphire lasers has been set up at the Holifield radioactive ion beam facility. To assess the feasibility of the all-solid-state laser system for applications at advanced radioactive ion beam facilities, spectroscopy and performance tests have been conducted with this source. The results of recent studies on excitation schemes, source efficiency, beam emittance and ion time structure are presented.

Laser ion source tests at the HRIBF on stable Sn, Ge and Ni isotopes

As one step in the ion source development for the Rare Isotope Accelerator, a hot-cavity laser ion source using an all-solid-state titanium–sapphire laser system has been tested at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility. Resonance ionization of stable isotopes of Sn, Ge and Ni has been studied in a Ta hot cavity. Efficient three step resonant ionization schemes applying frequency tripling for the first excitation step and using auto-ionizing or atomic Rydberg states in the ionizing step have been identified for all three elements, resulting in laser ion beams of typically around 100 nA. By saturating most of the optical excitation steps involved, ionization efficiencies of 22%, 3.3% and 2.7% have been measured for Sn, Ge and Ni, respectively.